MONTGOMERY, Ala. --Â Georgia State pushed No. 8 Southern Miss to the final pitch Wednesday night, but the Panthers' ninth-inning rally came up just short in a 7-6 loss in the Sun Belt Championship at DABOS Park.
The Panthers move to 27-29 on the season and will continue play Thursday in the double-elimination portion of the tournament. Georgia State will face the loser of Troy and South Alabama at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT.
Southern Miss struck first in the opening inning. After a leadoff walk and a hit-by-pitch put two runners on, Matthew Russo delivered a two-run single to give the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead.
Georgia State answered in the third inning. Nick Garagozzo opened the frame with a walk before Carter Bailey doubled to right field, scoring Garagozzo from first to cut the deficit to 2-1. John Beverley followed with a bunt single, and Bailey came around to score on a throwing error to tie the game at 2-2.
Play was halted in the bottom of the third inning with one out and a runner on for a rain delay that lasted two hours and 21 minutes. When play resumed, Will Bartkoski worked out of the inning and kept the game tied.
The Panthers took the lead in the fourth inning. Brandon Davis was hit by a pitch, and Cole Griffith walked to put two runners on. Garagozzo moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and Beverley came through with a two-run single to right field to give Georgia State a 4-2 advantage.
Southern Miss cut the deficit in the fifth on a solo home run from Kyle Morrison and tied the game in the sixth on an RBI double from Tucker Stockman. The Golden Eagles moved back in front in the seventh. Morrison and Davis Gillespie worked back-to-back walks before Russo singled to right field to bring home the go-ahead run. Ben Higdon followed with an RBI single up the middle, extending the Southern Miss lead to 6-4.
Georgia State continued to fight back in the eighth. Griffith doubled down the left-field line, and Garagozzo followed with an RBI single to center field to bring the Panthers within one. Southern Miss added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI groundout from Russo, pushing the lead to 7-5.
The Panthers made one final push in the ninth. Wills Maginnis singled to left field, and Wesley Bass followed with a base hit to put two runners on. Adam Haber then doubled to deep center field, scoring Maginnis and moving Bass to third as Georgia State cut the deficit to 7-6. The Panthers had the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second, but Southern Miss escaped the jam to close out the one-run win.
Georgia State finished with 13 hits against the tournament's top seed. Beverley led the Panthers with three hits and two RBIs, while Maginnis also collected three hits and scored twice. Bass added two hits and a stolen base, and Bailey finished with two hits, including an RBI double. Haber, Griffith, and Garagozzo each drove in a run.
Bartkoski started and worked 6.0 innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out three. Brian Crooms, Nicholas Holbrook, Niall Todd, and Jacob Crews combined to finish the game out of the bullpen.
Georgia State will return to action Thursday against either Troy or South Alabama at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT.
