A-State Falls 7-4 to Panthers

Arkansas State baseball rallied from an early five-run deficit with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the comeback fell short in a 7-4 loss to Georgia State Saturday night at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.

A-State (11-34, 5-20 SBC) trailed 6-1 after six innings, but key pitching and a run in the ninth inning helped the Panthers (29-23, 14-12) clinch the series.

Jared Toler led the Red Wolves with three hits, while also scoring and driving in a run.

Will Nash (1-6) struck out five and walked just one in his 4 1/3 innings, but allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits. Kevin Wiseman punched out four in 1 2/3 frames before handing off to Max Charlton, who pitched a scoreless seventh. Brandon Anderson hurled the final two innings, striking out for and allowing one unearned run.

Max Ryerson led Georgia State with three hits, including a home run, while driving in three. Caleb Stewart tallied a pair of hits and two runs scored, as did shortstop Griffin Cheney.

Starter Mason Patel (2-2) tossed five complete for the Panthers, allowing a run on three hits while striking out three. Chad Treadway allowed three runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings before Ryan Watson pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for his ninth save.

Georgia State scored a run apiece in the third and fourth innings. Cheney singled home Stewart in the third before a solo home run by Ryerson in the fourth gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

A-State cut that deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth when Brandon Hager doubled home Ben Klutts. GSU responded in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer by Luke Boynton to push its lead to 4-1.

The Panthers added two more in the top of the sixth when Ryerson singled up the middle to drive in Stewart and Cheney to make it 6-1.

Arkansas State battled back from the deficit with its three-run seventh. Jacob Hager led off the inning with a walk, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Eli Davis. French legged out a triple to score Hager before Toler drove him in on an RBI single to right, prompting the Panthers to call in Watson from the bullpen.

Cail greeted Watson with a single, followed by Klutts working a walk. After Brandon Hager struck out for the second out of the inning, Deshazier took the first pitch of his at-bat the opposite way for an RBI single that scored Toler.

Georgia State worked around a runner in scoring position in the eighth, then added a run in the top of the ninth on a passed ball.

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