Friday, March 20, 2015
Anderson and Caldwell Lead Panthers to Day 1 Split in Kansas
What you need to know:
* Georgia State run ruled UMKC to open the day before falling in extra innings to Eastern Michigan.
* The 20-5 Panthers scored 19 runs and totaled 11 extra-base hits in 13 innings of action.
* GSU returns to the field tomorrow to face Eastern Michigan 11 a.m. and No. 22 Kansas at 2 p.m.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Georgia State defeated UMKC 10-2 in five before falling to Eastern Michigan 10-9 in extra innings on the first day of the Rock Chalk Challenge in Lawrence, Kan.
Taylor Anderson and Kensey Caldwell each finished with four RBI to lead the way at the plate for the Panthers while Katie Worley went 1-1 on the day. GSU is now 20-5 overall after suffering their first neutral site loss of the season.
Game 1
Georgia State defeated UMKC 10-2 in five innings behind a big day at the plate by Taylor Anderson. She finished 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI. Katie Worley picked up her fifth win as nine different Panthers scored in the victory.
UMKC took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Georgia State responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame take a 3-2 lead. Anderson led off with a single before Ashley Christy was hit by a pitch. Ivie Drake then doubled to drive in both runners before scoring on Megan Litumbe’s single.
After a scoreless second, the Panthers blew the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the third. Back-to-back singles by Callie Alford and Litumbe started the inning before Alford scored on Lauren Coleman’s double. Kensey Caldwell and Mandy Blackwell then singled to drive in Litumbe and Coleman.
Morgan Brown singled through the right side to plate Caldwell before Anderson blasted a three-run homer to put the Panthers up 10-2. Worley retired the UMKC side in order in the fourth before Chelsea Stanfield did the same in the fifth to secure the run-rule victory.
Game 2
In the second game of the day GSU lost in extra innings to Eastern Michigan 10-9. The Panthers fought back from an early deficit to tie the game twice but they came up short after stranding 15 runners in the game.
Anderson opened the game with a lead-off double before Alford drew a two-out walk, however, both were stranded when a fielder’s choice ended the threat. The Eagles went down in order in the bottom of the first before taking a 3-0 lead on Abi Clark’s home run in the second.
GSU pulled two runs back in the third on Caldwell’s RBI double to make it a one-run game before Eastern Michigan scored three in the bottom of the frame to extend its lead to 6-2. Alford drove in one with an RBI-single in the fourth but the Panthers stranded two runners in scoring position.
Georgia State scored two runs in the fifth to pull within one but could not tie the game at six after leaving the bases loaded. The Eagles responded with two in the bottom half to go back up by three, 8-5.
The Panthers tied it at six with a run in the top of the sixth but Eastern Michigan then scored one in the bottom to reclaim the lead. GSU tied it at nine on Caldwell’s RBI single in the seventh and then Worley keep the Eagles off the board to force extra innings.
In the bottom of the eighth Easter Michigan clinched the 10-9 win with a walk-off, bunt single after Georgia State stranded a runner at third in the top of the frame. Worley took the loss in relief to fall to 5-2 overall this season.
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