What you need to know:
* Georgia State blasted five home runs in two games to break the GSU single-season home run record.
* The Panthers earned two walk-off wins over Tennessee Tech on Tuesday to snap their eight-game losing streak.
* Georgia State improves to 25-15 overall and its next game is at Kennesaw State on Wednesday, April 8 at 5 p.m.
ATLANTA – Georgia State hit 10 extra-base hits and scored 23 runs in two walk-off wins over Tennessee Tech on Tuesday, April 7 at the Robert E. Heck Softball Complex. Next, the Panthers return to the field Wednesday, April 8 for a single game at Kennesaw State at 5 p.m.
“After a tough stretch it was great to come home and get two wins,” head coach Roger Kincaid said after the doubleheader sweep. “Game 1 was a struggle but the team figured out a way to win, and in Game 2 we played the way we are capable of.”
GSU blasted five homers on the day to break the single-season home run record set a year ago. The Panthers have now hit 63 bombs in 40 games to easily break last season's total of 59. Ivie Drake and Megan Litumbe led the way with two homers each while Callie Alford added a grand slam.
“We don't try to hit home runs but we have a lot of power bats in the line-up,” Kincaid said about his record breaking squad. “Home runs are a product of good, fundamental swings and at times we have done that very well this season.”
Game 1
Georgia State erased a four-run deficit to come from behind to defeat Tennessee Tech 11-10 in eight innings on Ashley Christy's walk-off triple. The Panthers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after one on RBI hits by Alford and Mandy Blackwell.
The Golden Eagles then scored eight runs in the top of the second to go ahead 8-4. Thanks Lauren Coleman's RBI walk and Litumbe's sacrifice fly, GSU responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame to make it an 8-6 game after two.
Georgia State pulled within one, 8-7, with a single run in the third on Drake's RBI single. Tennessee Tech then scored once in the fourth and once in the fifth before GSU added a run in the bottom fifth on Drake's solo homer to make it a 10-8 game after five complete.
After a scoreless sixth, the Panthers scored two in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 10 and force extra innings. Cassidy Faulk scored on a wild pitch and Coleman drove in Kensey Caldwell with an RBI single. In the bottom of the eighth, Taylor Anderson led off with a single before scoring on Christy's walk-off triple.
Game 2
Litumbe blasted two homers and Alford launched a walk-off grand slam as Georgia State defeated Tennessee Tech by run-rule 12-1 in five innings. The Panthers took a 3-0 lead after one that they would not relinquish.
Anderson scored on an error and Litumbe hit a two-run bomb to put GSU up three after one. Georgia State then extended its lead to 5-0 after three on Litumbe's second homer of the game and Coleman's sacrifice fly.
Tennessee Tech got on the board with a solo homer in the fourth. The Panthers then scored two in the bottom of the frame on Drake's solo homer and Coleman's RBI single to go up 7-1 after four complete.
In the bottom of the fifth Kensey Caldwell scored on Anderson's RBI single before two intentional walks loaded the bases for Alford. The senior then blasted a walk-off grand slam to center to give GSU the 12-1 run-rule victory.
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