What you need to know:
* Georgia State (32-27, 13-11 SBC) lost to top-seeded UL Lafayette in the morning, but defeated Troy 8-0 (5) in the afternoon to stay alive in the Sun Belt Tournament.
* Katie Worley and Mandy Chance held Troy to just one hit and no runs in the five-inning win.
* The Panthers will play the winner of UL Monroe-South Alabama on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.
MOBILE, Ala. – Sophomore Ivie Drake was a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI as Georgia State defeated Troy 8-0 in five innings Thursday afternoon to avoid elimination from the Sun Belt Tournament.
After falling to top-seeded UL Lafayette 13-1 (5) in the morning, the No. 4-seed Panthers rallied to top the Trojans with elimination on the line.
Senior Katie Worley got the start in the circle and recorded her 16th win of the season. Worley allowed just one hit in three innings of work. Freshman Amanda Chance relieved Worley and kept the Trojans off the base paths in the final two frames with the exception of one walk.
Junior Kensey Caldwell put the Panthers on top in the first with an RBI-single that scored senior Taylor Anderson. Then, with the bases loaded, a throwing error allowed two more runs to come home. Freshman Reagan Morgan then tallied an RBI on a groundout that gave GSU a 4-0 lead after one inning.
The Panthers continued to pour it on and added two more runs in the second inning of a double by Caldwell that plated two. Caldwell now has 18 doubles this season which is just two shy of the GSU record. Caldwell finished the day 2-for-3 with a team-high three RBI.
Drake put the run rule in effect with a two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth. It was the 15th of the season for the sophomore and the 37th of her career. Drake needs just one more home run to tie Callie Alford's record set in 2015.
Next up for Georgia State is the winner of UL Monroe and South Alabama. GSU will play the winner of that game at 3 p.m. ET on Friday in Mobile.
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