MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama fell behind early at Eddie Stanky Field on Friday night before falling to Georgia State 15-5 in Sun Belt Conference action.
South Alabama (19-19, 7-9 SBC) gave up five runs combined in the second and third before it was able to get its first run of the game across the plate. However, Georgia State (20-19, 8-8 SBC) sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run fifth inning that broke the game open for the Panthers.
The loss ends a four-game winning streak for the Jags and is the third consecutive series they have dropped the first game, winning the previous two (Texas State and ULM).
Sam Knowlton (2-3) suffered the loss for the Jags, working 2.0 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on a pair of hits with a strikeout and four walks. The junior was one of five pitchers used on the night for the Jags.
How It Happened
- (T2) Max Ryerson singled to deep center to score Dalton Pearson from third for the game's first run before Matt Ruiz scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. The Panthers added another run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Luke Boynton, Georgia State 3-0.
- (T3) Ruiz delivered a sacrifice fly to score Cameron Jones from third before Colin Hynek doubled to left center to score Ruiz, Georgia State 5-0.
- (B3) Erick Orbeta recorded an RBI groundout to second to score Cole Ketzner who led off the inning with a single, Georgia State 5-1.
- (T4) Ryerson led off the inning with a solo home run to left, Georgia State 6-1.
- (T5) Dylan Strickland singled to third to score Pearson from third before Boynton singled through the right side to drive in another run with the bases loaded. The Panthers were able to add two more runs when JoJo Jackson was hit by a pitch and Ryerson scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. The Panthers continued to score when Jones delivered a two-run up the middle, Georgia State 12-1.
- (T6) Hynek led off the inning with a solo shot to left, Georgia State 13-1.
- (T7) Hynek drove in his third run of the game with a single through the left side to score Jones from third before Ryerson drew a bases-loaded walk, Georgia State 15-1.
- (B8) Will Turner tripled to center to score JG Bell from first before he scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Austin Thrasher, Georgia State 15-3.
- (B9) Bell singled to right to score Ryan Storey and Jackson Howard, Georgia State 15-5.
Up Next
The two teams meet in the second game of the series at Eddie Stanky Field on Saturday afternoon with first pitch set for 2 pm.
Quotable, head coach Mark Calvi
General statement …
"Georgia State beat us in all three phases of the game. Our focus has been really good in practice and tonight I think it stunk. We weren't good on offense, defense, and on the mound too many free passes. To beat a good team like that, they are so much better than their record and I knew that coming in, lesson learned. Just because you have won a few in a row, each game is different you can't just skip your way through a Friday night. You can't do that. We got beat in all three phases and didn't do enough to win tonight. Offensively we got stuffed, so even if the game was tighter, we didn't do enough and pressure the other team. We didn't do enough, and they did."
Another series having to bounce back from Friday …
"It's going to take the same thing. Nine free passes tonight. In my pregame we talked about how well they hit and the key to winning and beating these guys is to make them hit to get on. They are going to get their hits and what happens before and after a hit, you can't make an error and give up a walk before a hit and you can't make an error and a walk after a bat. They are going to get theirs and we are going to get ours."
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