What You Need to Know
* After GSU rallied to pull within 8-6, Minnesota pulled away in the ninth for an 11-6 victory to win the series.
* Brandon Gonzalez drove in two runs, and Jack Thompson and Ryan Blanton had three hits each.
* Georgia State hosts in-state rival Mercer Tuesday at 6 p.m.
ATLANTA -- After Georgia State rallied to pull within 8-6 in the eighth inning, Minnesota pulled away in the ninth for an 11-6 victory Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Brandon Gonzalez drove in two runs for the Panthers (6-5), and Jack Thompson and Ryan Blanton had three hits each.
The Golden Gophers (7-3) won the series, two games to one.
Trailing 8-2, Georgia State rallied for three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to pull within 8-6. After Blanton led off the sixth with an infield single, Thompson doubled to to right center, and then Gonzalez delivered a run-scoring single to center field. Rhett Harper and Justin Jones followed with RBI-singles in the inning to close the gap to 8-5.
The Panthers looked for more in the seventh as Darius Sewell and Blanton led off with back-to-back singles, but a double play derailed the inning, one of three turned by the Gophers to counteract the Panthers' 15 hits. Still, Sewell scored on a wild pitch to bring GSU within 8-6.
But Minnesota managed three runs in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach.
"I think we ran out of time," head coach Greg Frady said. "We were competitive throughout the course of the game, but we gave up the one five-run inning in the middle of the game, which wound up being the difference. We're a little thin at the moment, so we asked a lot of our pitching staff this weekend. Both teams swung the bat well today, but they basically got the timely hits.
"I'm disappointed to lose the series, but I'm very proud of the team for how hard we fought," Frady continued. "All in all, I think we took another step forward, and I'm happy we had this series with the University of Minnesota."
GSU turned two double plays in the game, giving the Panthers seven in the three-game series, and catcher Joey Roach threw out a runner attempting to steal second and picked off another Gopher at first.
Georgia State fell behind early as Minnesota scored twice in the second and once in the third to chase starter Devin Vainer (0-1). Georgia State cut into the lead with two in the third as Jarrett Hood came home on a wild pitch and Gonzalez drove in Blanton with a sacrifice fly. But Minnesota answered with a five-run fifth inning, including a pinch-hit, three-run homer by Eddie Estrada.
Minnesota starter Tyler Hanson (2-0) allowed four runs on 10 hits in five innings to earn the victory.
The Panthers continue their homestand by hosting in-state rival Mercer Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex. Listen live on GeorgiaStateSports.com and GSU mobile apps.
