What You Need to Know:
* Rallying from 7-1 down, Georgia State scored seven runs in the eighth inning for a 13-8 win over UALR.
* Ryan Blanton drove in the tying run and Matt Rose's two-run single put the Panthers ahead.
* First-place GSU improved to 7-2 in the Sun Belt.
ATLANTA -- Matt Rose drove in the go-ahead runs in a seven-run eighth inning as Georgia State rallied from a 7-1 deficit for a 13-8 victory over UALR to remain in first place in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Panthers won their fourth straight conference game to improve to 18-13 overall and 7-2 in the Sun Belt.
Sam Few homered and drove in two for GSU, and Ryan Blanton and Trae Sweeting had two RBI each. David Levy collected three hits and an RBI.
After falling behind 7-1 in the fourth inning, Georgia State scored three in the sixth to pull within one run at 7-6. That was the score with one out in the eighth when the Panthers started their winning rally. Cam Sperry and Levy singled to put runners at first and second, and then Blanton tied the game with a single to center.
After Justin Jones' single loaded the bases, Caden Bailey's ground ball was snared by the first baseman, who threw home for the force and the second out.
That brought Rose to the plate with two outs, and the Preseason All-American delivered a sharp single past the third baseman to score two and give the Panthers a 9-7 lead. Joey Roach followed with a run-scoring single for his Sun Belt-leading 29th RBI of the season. Few's single through the left side plated another run, and then Trae Sweeting, who pinch ran for Sperry, smacked a two-run double to put the Panthers ahead 13-7.
"This is by far the most impressive thing we've done this season," head coach Greg Frady said. "We couldn't pitch our way into control of the game for the longest time. But we did finally settle down, and our relief pitching basically shut them down to give us time to catch up.
"The home run Sam Few hit gave us some confidence to fight back," Frady continued. "In that eighth inning, Ryan Blanton had a huge at-bat, Joey Roach had a huge at-bat, Trae Sweeting had a huge at-bat to give us a cushion. But no at-bat was more important Matt Rose's two-out, two RBIs to give us the lead. That was amazing."
UALR managed to load the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth on a single and two walks, but freshman Logan Barnette came on and rolled a double play and then recorded the final out for the 13-8 victory.
The GSU defense turned two double plays, picked three runners off base and threw out a fourth attempting to steal.
Georgia State starter Nathan Bates struggled, allowing seven runs on 12 hits, but he managed to throw six innings to help save the Panthers' bullpen.
"This was not the Nathan Bates that we know, but he pitched six innings, and that's a huge thing to not just demoralize your bullpen on Friday night. He just grinded and grinded," Frady said.
After UALR scored four runs in the third and two in the fourth to take a 7-1 lead, the Panthers began to chip away. Few hit a solo homer, his second of the season, in the bottom of the fourth, and then Bailey drove in a run with a groundout in the fifth.
Then Panthers mounted a two-out rally in the sixth. Will Johnson and Sperry singled to put runners at first and second, and then Levy singled through the left side to bring home Johnson. Blanton's single brought home Sperry, and with runners at first and third, Georgia State executed a double steal as Levy came home and pulled the Panthers within 7-6.
UALR (10-15, 7-5 Sun Belt) looked to add to their lead in the top of the eighth, loading the bases with two outs on a double, a walk and a hit batter, but Wayne Wages came on and struck out Ryan Scott to end the threat. Wages (3-0) was credited with the victory.
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.
