ATLANTA (4/16/23) – A ninth-inning rally fell short on Sunday for the Arkansas State baseball team, which dropped a 6-4 rubber match to Georgia State at the GSU Baseball Complex.
The Red Wolves (12-20, 3-10 SBC) pushed one run across and had the tying run aboard with no outs in the final frame, but the Panthers (18-18, 7-8) dodged the comeback attempt to take the series. A-State out-hit the hosts 11-8, but recorded three errors in the contest.
Allen Grier went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, finishing with nine runs driven in on the weekend in a return to his hometown. The junior outfielder hit .500 (6-12) on the weekend with three runs scored.
Kody Darcy was one of four Red Wolves with two hits, homering in the sixth. Daedrick Cail and Cross Jumper both went 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Cason Tollett went 2-for-2 with a double.
Chase Armstrong worked 3 1/3 innings in relief of starter Brian Veniard, who went the first two stanzas. Armstrong struck out three and allowed one run but did not give up a walk in his work.
The Panthers took an early 2-0 lead on solo homers by Michael Maginnis and JoJo Jackson. Maginnis led off the bottom of the first with his solo shot, turning on the first pitch he saw, while Jackson's long ball came with one out in the fourth.
A-State erased the deficit with three runs across in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead. Darcy led off the inning with a solo blast to left, and then Grier continued his tremendous weekend with a two-run single, driving in Jumper and Cail.
Georgia State threatened in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded and two outs, but Tyler Jeans (1-4) entered into the jam and left them loaded with an inning-ending strikeout.
The first two GSU batters reached to start the bottom of the seventh before a sac bunt advanced them to third. A single by Cameron Jones plated Max Ryerson, and then Jackson reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Luke Boynton to score before Jones crossed on a wild pitch. Matt Ruiz then singled home Jackson before Jeans retired the next two batters to end the inning.
A-State picked up a run in the ninth when an error allowed Brayden Caskey to score, putting the go-ahead run at the plate with no outs, but Brady Jones worked around the base runners to end the threat.
NEXT UP
A-State returns home for five straight games, beginning with Tuesday's tilt against Ole Miss. First pitch against the Rebels at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field is slated for 6 p.m. on ESPN+, with the radio broadcast carried on The Ticket Radio Network stations 95.3, 96.9 and 970 AM in Jonesboro, as well as online at 953theticket.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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