Box Score

ATLANTA – Georgia State scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to defeat the University of South Alabama baseball team 4-3 Saturday in Sun Belt Conference action at GSU Baseball Complex.

GSU (17-10, 6-2 SBC) clinched the series with the win, which marked the Jaguars' fourth consecutive loss.

UP NEXT
South Alabama (16-9, 4-4 SBC) will return to action Sunday when it faces Georgia State at noon (CT) in the series finale in Atlanta. 

GAME FACTS
- DeAngelo Abboud drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, and advanced to third on a two-base throwing error by Jaguar right-hander Matt Boswell on a failed pickoff attempt at first. Cameron Jones delivered a one-out RBI double down the right field line to score Abboud for a 1-0 GSU lead. Caleb Stewart followed with an RBI single that hit off of the third base bag to score Jones and double the Panther lead at 2-0. Max Ryerson reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases with one out. Dalton Pearson then reached on an RBI single into shallow center field for a 3-0 GSU advantage. Stewart also scored on the play on a throwing error by Will Turner on a throw to third for a 4-0 GSU lead.
- Turner singled to center field with one out in the top of the second, advanced to second on a single to second base by Brandon Auerbach and scored on a two-out RBI single to left field by Erick Orbeta to cut the Panther lead to 4-1.
- USA cut the GSU lead in half at 4-2 in the top of the fourth when Santi Montiel blasted the first pitch he saw from Panther right-hander Chandler Dawson over the left field wall. Reid Powers reached on a fielding error by Panther third baseman Stewart, and Orbeta reached on a hit by pitch. Landon Jordan then delivered an RBI single to left-center field to plate Powers and cut the GSU lead to 4-3.

NOTES
- Simington extended his on-base streak to 23 games with a one-out double to left field in the top of the seventh.  
- Turner extended his on-base streak to 12 games with a one-out single to right field in the top of the second.  
- Orbeta extended his hitting streak to nine games with a leadoff single to right field in the top of the first.
- Montiel's fourth-inning home run marked his team-leading sixth of the season.
- Boswell (4-2) logged a quality start, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and one walk in six innings pitched in the loss.
- Montiel went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and one run scored, and Orbeta finished 2-for-4 with on RBI to lead the Jags at the plate. Auerbach added two hits, and Jordan finished with one hit and one RBI.
- Right-handed reliever Collin Brougham tossed two perfect innings, and recorded two strikeouts.

Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the loss:
"Boz (Matt Boswell) pitched really well. He got off to a bad start because we didn't play good defense behind him. We missed a pick to first, let a fly ball drop in and that's how it goes. Sometimes the last inning gets you, and sometimes it's the first. That's why you have to play every inning with heightened awareness with everything you've got, and we did not do that tonight. It's unfortunate because we wasted a good start."

- On the offense:
"We got our share of hits, we just didn't score enough runs. We hit some balls hard and had some guys on, but we left eight guys on base. That isn't a whole lot, but in a tight ballgame like that – we had our chances and were a hit or two away in a couple of innings from pushing two or three (runs) across the board and we didn't get it."

- On Sunday's series finale:
"I just need (starting pitcher) JoJo (Booker) to be JoJo. He's been around the block and knows what it takes. He needs to go out there and pitch well. It's an offensive park and they (GSU) are an offensive team. They're a very good team, and our guys knew that; no one took anyone lightly. They have outplayed us (in the series, they outplayed us today, and today it was in the first inning. They were ready to go and we were not. We settled in and played a better brand of baseball the last eight innings, but too little too late."

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).

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