What You Need to Know:
• Georgia State fell 9-7 at Little Rock, dropping the series two games to one.
• Joey Roach hit a two-run homer to pull the Panthers within two in the ninth inning, and GSU had the trying runs on base when the game ended.
• Justin Jones had three hits, including a two-run double in GSU's five-run fifth.
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. -- Georgia State's ninth-inning rally fell short as the Panthers lost 9-7 at Little Rock, which won the series two games to one Sunday at Gary Hogan Field.
Joey Roach hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to pull Georgia State (15-17, 4-8 Sun Belt) within two runs. The Panthers then put the tying runs on base with two outs as Jarrett Hood and James Clements drew walks before Little Rock (15-16, 8-7 Sun Belt) got the final out.
Roach's homer, a long blast to right field, was his second of the series and fourth in his last four games after hitting two at Auburn and one Friday. The senior catcher now has nine home runs on the season and 23 in his career. He also had a run-scoring single in the fifth inning.
Trailing 1-0, Georgia State (15-17, 4-8 Sun Belt) jumped in front with five runs in the fifth. The Panthers sent nine men to the plate, and eight of them got hits, including doubles by Will Kilgore, Ryan Blanton and Justin Jones. Jones' double scored the first two runs, and then Joey Roach, Jack Thompson and Darius Sewell followed with RBI-singles to give the Panthers a 5-1 lead.
GSU starter Bryan White (1-2) was outstanding for four innings, allowing only one hit on a solo homer by Nik Gifford. But he ran into trouble in the fifth with four walks. A bases-loaded double by Ryan Scott was the only hit of the inning, but it scored three and pulled Little Rock within 5-4.
The Trojans (15-16, took the lead an inning later, scoring three runs on on just two hits after the first two batters reached via hit by pitch and walk.
Little Rock added two insurance runs in the eighth which proved to be the winning runs. The Trojans had just six hits in the game but took advantage of seven walks and two hit batters.
Georgia State collected 13 hits, but the Panthers left 10 on base. Jones had three hits and two RBI, and Will Johnson added two hits.
Georgia State returns home to host USC Upstate Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex before another Sun Belt road series at UL Monroe next weekend.
