BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Georgia State earned its first win of the season Saturday morning in a 9-2 victory over Eastern Illinois at the Samford Classic.
The Panthers fell 4-0 to DePaul in the second game of the day.
Game 1: GSU 9, EIU 2
Georgia State fell behind 2-1 before scoring eight unanswered against Eastern Illinois to win 9-2.
After EIU scored a run in each of the first two innings, Emily Soles shut down EIU over the next four innings to keep GSU within striking distance.
The big break for the Panthers came in the fifth inning when Georgia State erupted for six runs on six hits and an error.
Baylee Sexton and Reagan Morgan led off the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles. Caitlin Ray then grounded out in what was essentially a sacrifice, moving the runners into scoring position. Remington Hasty then brought in Sexton with a sac fly to tie the game at 2-2.
With two outs, Alyssa Brumelow double home Morgan and then scored herself on a single by Kristin Hawkins. After Paige Taylor reached on an error and Arden Jobe drew a walk to load the bases, Skylar Mosel sent a pinch-hit single into right field to make it 4-2, Georgia State.
Still with two outs in the inning, Sexton brought in two more runs with a shallow double down the left field line that skirted off the diving left fielder's glove.
Georgia State would put two more runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth with some help from another EIU error.
Soles would pick up the win, her first of the season. Soles allowed one run over 5.0 innings of work.
Sexton was a perfect 4-for-4 in the lead-off spot with a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Kristin Hawkins also had a multi-hit game going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored.
Game 2: DePaul 4, GSU 0
Georgia State struggled to get its offense going in the second game of the day. Georgia State mustered just three hits against DePaul's Krista Dalgarn.
Caitlin Ray was responsible for two of those three hits. She was 2-for-2 in the game with a walk.
DePaul took advantage of a pair of GSU errors, scoring a run in the second, two in the fourth and one more in the fifth.
With rain in the forecast for Birmingham Sunday, Georgia State is no longer scheduled to play DePaul again. Instead, the Panthers will now play a doubleheader against host Samford with Game 1 beginning at noon ET. UPDATE: Both games will be shown for free on SoCon Digital Network.
