What You Need to Know:
* Georgia State fell to Eastern Michigan 3-1 Sunday but won the series.
* Panthers (9-6) have won four of their last six.
* GSU hosts Kennesaw State Wednesday at 6 p.m.
ATLANTA -- Georgia State fell 3-1 to Eastern Michigan Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex but won the three-game series, two games to one.
Eastern Michigan (6-10) starter Jake Andrews (2-1) kept the Panthers off balance all day, allowing just just one run on five hits in 8.1 innings. Georgia State put the tying runs on base with two outs in the ninth, but reliever Sam Delaplane came on and got freshman Jack Thompson to fly out to end the game and pick up his second save.
Sophomore Ryan Blanton led the Panthers (9-6) with two hits and made two diving catches in center field. Senior Caden Bailey drove in the Panthers lone run with a double in the first inning to score Blanton, who led off the game with a single. The Panthers looked to add more in the first with two runners on, but Will Johnson's sharp line drive was snagged by the third baseman to end the inning and Georgia State struggled to get much going after that. Another threat was thwarted when Matt Rose's line drive was caught by the shortstop for an inning-ending double play in the third inning.
Georgia State starter Cole Uvila (0-2) turned in a quality start, pitching into the eighth inning while allowing three runs on eight hits. He also picked off two runners at first base. After Uvila allowed two baserunners in the eighth, reliever Clayton Payne came in and needed just one pitch to roll a double play and keep the Panthers close.
Eastern Michigan's Mitch McGeein hit his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field and had three hits on the day.
"We pitched outstanding today and we played really great defense. I'm really happy with those two aspects, but offensively, we really could not get anything going," head coach Greg Frady said. "Give their starter credit; he was mixing it up pretty good. But when you're not committed to staying on top--and we weren't because we had too many flyouts--you give a guy a chance to go deep in the game and that's what he did."
Georgia State returns to action Wednesday to host Atlanta-area rival Kennesaw State Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex. Tickets are available on GeorgiaStateSports.com, by calling 404-413-4020 or on gameday. Then the Panthers open Sun Belt Conference play next weekend at Arkansas State.
