What You Need to Know:
* Georgia State won 8-5 over Eastern Michigan, GSU's fourth win in last five games.
* Caden Bailey drove in the go-ahead run in a three-run eighth inning and Joey Roach had four RBI.
* Series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.
ATLANTA -- Caden Bailey drove in the go-ahead run in a three-run eighth inning that lifted Georgia State to an 8-5 victory over Eastern Michigan Friday at the GSU Baseball Complex in the opener of a three-game series. The Panthers (8-5) won for the fourth time in their last five games.
Eastern Michigan (5-9) scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to take its first lead at 5-4 before Georgia State tied the game on a double steal in the bottom of the inning. After Sam Few singled with one out, Trae Sweeting singled to left field, and pinch runner Gerrio Rahming advanced to second. A fielder's choice ground ball by Will Johnson put runners at first and third with two outs with James Clements at the plate. Johnson broke for second, and the Panthers executed a double steal as Rahming came home with the tying run.
After reliever Connor Stanley tossed a scoreless top of the eighth, Ryan Blanton led off the bottom of the frame with a walk and advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches by reliever Sam Delaplane (2-1). Justin Jones drew a walk, and then Bailey singled through the left side to score Blanton with the go-ahead run. Matt Rose walked to load the bases, and left-handed reliever Michael Marsinek came on to face the left-handed hitting Joey Roach. Roach worked the count full and fouled off several pitches before drawing a walk to bring in another run.
Then Rahming hit a ground ball to the second baseman. Roach eluded the tag and was safe at second as Bailey scored the third run of the inning, giving the Panthers an 8-5 lead.
Kevin Burgee pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts to earn his third save of the season. Stanley (2-0), who pitch 1.2 innings in relief, won his second straight decision for the Panthers.
"We found a way to win. Nothing was easy or pretty or fluid ... it was just uphill all day long, but just to win feels pretty good," head coach Greg Frady said.
Roach, the junior catcher, drove in four runs on the day with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and a two-run single in the fourth that gave Georgia State a 4-2 lead.
"With guys on base, I really just try to put the ball in play. Especially in a tight game like this, where every run matter," Roach said. "Being able to come up in a spot like that and put together a good 'AB' was really important in today's game."
Blanton, the Panthers' leadoff hitter, tied the Georgia State record with four walks. Nine other Panthers have walked four times in a game, most recently Rob Lind in 2011. As a team, GSU drew 10 free passes, including three by Rose.
Bailey finished 4-for-5 and scored three runs.
GSU starter Nathan Bates allowed three runs, all unearned, on six hits in six innings of work with three walks and five strikeouts. The Panthers, second in the Sun Belt in fielding percentage, committed an uncharacteristic five errors on the day.
"Nathan battled and pitched us into the sixth inning, like a starter should," Frady said. "We didn't play our best defensive game by any means, so we didn't really support him. It was just a hard game. We just couldn't find a way to play well in the early part of the game, but we stayed focused and found a way, and I'm proud of the team."
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex. Tickets are available at the gate.
