ATLANTA -- Tyler Roche pitched seven strong innings, and JoJo Jackson and Luke Boynton homered to lead Georgia State to a 3-2 win over Seton Hall Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Roche (1-1), the junior right-hander and transfer from St. John's, allowed just one run on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks to earn his first victory for the Panthers (2-5).Â
Redshirt freshman Jack Butler pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and then Quin McManmon recorded the final two outs for his first career save.
The pitching staff got a lift from the GSU defense, which turned four double plays on the day. Second baseman Jesse Donohoe made a diving stop behind second base in the first inning and flipped to shortstop Matt Ruiz at the bag to start a 4-6-3 twin killing. One inning later, Dohohoe caught a pop-up in shallow center and doubled the runner at first base. Then the Panthers turned a 5-4-3 double play in the fifth and a 6-4-3 DP in the eighth.
Jackson, the junior outfielder, and Boynton, the senior first baseman, hit back-to-back solo homers in the first inning to give the Panthers an early 2-0 that they would not surrender.
Boynton, who was 3-for-4 on the day, hit his third homer of the series and fifth of the season, while Jackson also had two on the weekend after belting two yesterday.
Michael Maginnis provided a key insurance run with is two-out, RBI-single in the fourth inning.
Georgia State entered the ninth inning leading 3-1. Butler recorded the first out on a fly ball, but after a single and a double pulled the Pirates (4-2) within 3-2, McManmon came on. He struck out Frankie Scravanic for the second out and then ended the game with a fly ball to center field.
Georgia State plays at Georgia Tech Tuesday at 4 p.m.
GAME NOTES
» Luke Boynton his his team-leading fifth homer of the season. He now has 33 career homers in three seasons at GSU, good for seventh in school history.
>> JoJo Jackson hit his 16th career homer.
» Georgia State turned four double plays in the game, one shy of the school record.
