Box Score

ATLANTA – Georgia State hit three home runs and overcame a three-run deficit to defeat the University of South Alabama baseball team 10-8 in Friday's series opener at GSU Baseball Complex.

GSU (16-10, 5-2 SBC) trailed 5-2 after 4 1/2 innings before plating four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-5 lead. The Panthers then added two runs in the sixth and a pair of runs in the seventh to secure the win in the opening game of the three-game series.

UP NEXT
South Alabama (16-8, 4-3 SBC) will return to action Saturday when it faces Georgia State at 3 p.m. (CT) in game two of the weekend series. 

GAME FACTS
- Will Turner singled up the middle with one out in the top of the first, stole second and scored on a one-out RBI single to right field by Miles Simington for a 1-0 Jaguar lead. 
- Georgia State answered in the bottom of the first on a one-out, two-run single to left-center field by Luke Boynton for a 2-1 Panther lead. 
- USA put runners at the corners with one out on a double to left field by Brandon Auerbach, and single through the right side of the infield by Diego Altamirano. Erick Orbeta followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Auerbach and tie the score 2-2. 
- Simington led off the top of the third with a single down the right field line, and advanced to third on a double to right-center field by Charles Middleton. Hunter Stokes followed with an RBI infield single to first to plate Simington for a 3-2 Jaguar lead. Santi Montiel then delivered an RBI double to left field to score Middleton and double the USA lead at 4-2. Hunter Donaldson followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to plate Stokes for a 5-2 Jag advantage.
- GSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the third when DeAngelo Abboud reached on a fielding error by Santi Montiel on a grounder to shortstop to lead off the inning, Griffin Cheney drew a walk and Boynton reached on a one-out walk. Jaguar right-hander Miles Smith struck out Caleb Stewart for the second out of the frame, and induced an inning-ending flyout to right-center field off the bat of Max Ryerson to end the threat.
- The Panthers cut the Jaguar lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth on a one-out RBI single to left field by Boynton. Ryerson delivered a two-out, three-run home run to left field later in the inning for a 6-5 GSU lead.
- GSU extended its lead to 8-5 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out, two-run home run to left-center field by Griffin Cheney.
- Simington reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the top of the seventh, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a single to center field by Middleton to put runners at the corners with no outs. Stokes grounded into a 4-6-3 double play that allowed Simington to score and cut the GSU lead to 8-6.
- GSU pushed its lead to 9-6 on a two-out solo home run to center field by Ryerson. A two-out RBI double down the left field line by Kyle Hilton gave the Panthers a 10-6 lead. 
- Middleton reached on a fielding error by GSU center fielder Kyle Riesselmann in the top of the ninth, and scored when Stokes lifted a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall for a two-run home run, his first of the season, for the final runs of the game.

NOTES
- Simington extended his on-base streak to 22 games with a one-out RBI single to right field in the top of the first.  
- Altamirano extended his on-base streak to 12 games with a one-out single through the right side of the infield in the top of the second.  
- Turner extended his on-base streak to 11 games with a one-out single up the middle in the top of the first. 
- Orbeta extended his hitting streak to eight games with a one-out RBI single through the right side of the infield in the top of the second. 
- Smith (4-1) allowed six runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and five walks in five innings pitched to suffer his first loss of the season.
- Stokes went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Jags at the plate. Simington added two hits, one RBI and two runs scored, and Middleton finished with two hits and two runs scored.
- Eight Jaguar starters hit safely in the game, led by Stokes' three hits.
- Left-hander Eli Runyan tossed one perfect relief inning, and right-hander Walker Johnson struck out the lone batter he faced in relief.

Assistant Coach Alan Luckie
- On the loss:
"They (GSU) hit three two-out home runs that hurt us bad. We walked six guys and didn't play clean defense; fortunately the two errors we made did not hurt us. But nevertheless, we hit the starter (Brandon Kaminer) then they brought (Seth) Clark in and he shut us down for the next four innings. We had no success against him whatsoever, and they just kept hitting two-out home runs and the next thing you know we're in a hole."

- On tomorrow's game:
"I think every team in America, no matter how good you are, goes through a pocket of time where you struggle, and I think this is that pocket of time for us for sure. I know that we have enough guys who swing the bat, play good enough defense and pitch. We're going to be fine, but we have to keep working our way through this little bad spell."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Dugout Club - the baseball-specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members enjoy all games from inside the Stadium Club with climate control, private restrooms, private concessions and access to listen to the radio broadcast. All donations to the Dugout Club go directly to support the South Alabama baseball program. For more information on how you can join visit JaguarAthleticFund.com.