ATLANTA -- Jake Corso and Enrique Ferrer drove in two runs each to back a combined pitching effort by Jordan Lee, Brandon Baker and Jansen Acton as Georgia State downed Minnesota 9-6 in Game 3 of the Atlanta Challenge Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
The Panthers moved to 2-1 on the season with wins over the Golden Gophers and Bradley on the Opening Weekend.
Minnesota started quickly with two runs in the top of the first, but GSU responded with five runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, capitalizing on Gophers' freshman starter Sam Thoresen's inability to find the stroke zone. After Thoresen hit or walked the first four batters and threw a wild pitch, the Panthers quickly tied the game at 2-2. Then Jake Corso ripped a double to the gap in right center to bring home two more runs. After another hit batter and then a walk chased Thoreson, Romero Greer's sacrifice fly put GSU ahead 5-2.
The Gophers (2-2) managed one more run in the second to pull within 5-3, but that was all they would get off starter Jordan Lee (1-0). Lee rolled an inning-ending double play, started by shorstop Justin Jones, and then retired nine of the next 10 batters. His final line saw him allow three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and just one walk.
Meanwhile, Minnesota reliever Patrick Frederickson blanked the Panthers until the sixth inning, when Georgia State parlayed four straight hits into three runs. After Will Kilgore led off with a single, Romero Greer and Luke Leonard both beat out bunt singles while attempting to sacrifice. That loaded the bases for Enrique Ferrer, who singled up the middle to plate two runs. The Panthers added another run on a wild pitch to up their lead to 8-3.
After the Gophers inched closer with two runs in the seventh, Ferrer hit his second double of the day with one out in the eighth, and Jones delivered a key insurance run with a single up the middle to send the Panthers to the ninth inning with a 9-5 lead.
GSU senior left-hander Brandon Baker relieved Lee in the sixth and pitched 3.1 innings before senior closer Jansen Acton recorded the final two outs for the 9-6 victory.
The win over Minnesota gives Georgia State at least one victory over a Power Five conference foe in seven of the last eight seasons. The Panthers will try for another one Tuesday when they play at Auburn in a 5 p.m. ET game that will air on SECN+ and 1340 AM/103.7 FM.
