PANTHERS RALLY FOR 7-5 WIN AT MINNESOTA
MINNEAPOLIS -- Georgia State pounded out 14 hits as the Panthers rallied for a 7-5 victory at Minnesota, splitting the two-game series at Siebert Field.

Cam Sperry delivered a two-run double to tie the game in the sixth inning, and then Romero Greer doubled scored the go-ahead run in the seventh. Georgia State (17-27) relievers Liam Henry and Rhett Harper combined to finish the game with four scoreless innings.

Nick Gatewood and Darius Sewell each went for 3-for-4, and Ryan Blanton drove in a key insurance run in the ninth inning.

Greer led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to left field, his second of the season, to put the Panthers ahead 2-0. After Minnesota (26-15) moved ahead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, GSU tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth when Payton Mann was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The Gophers took a 5-3 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth, but Georgia State answered again with a two-out rally in the sixth. Gatewood singled and Sewell walked, and then Sperry drove them both home with a double to left center, tying the game at 5-5.

In the seventh, Greer led off with a double to left center, then moved to third on a sacrifice. That brought up Mike Huggins, who laid down a squeeze bunt to bring home Greer with the go-ahead run.

Huggins also figured in the Panthers' ninth-inning insurance run as he doubled with two outs and scored on Blanton's single up the middle.

Henry (1-1) came on in the sixth and retired the Gophers in order in the sixth and seventh. He allowed a leadoff single to Ben Mezzenga in the seventh but picked him off first base and then got the final two outs. He earned the victory with a final line of no runs on one hit with one strikeout in three innings.

Harper pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts for his fourth save.

GSU starter Brandon Baker did not figure in the decision but pitched four innings, allowing three runs on three hits with five strikeouts. Tyler Hanson (4-5) took the loss for Minnesota.

"Today we played well in all three phrases," head coach Greg Frady said. "Brandon Baker gave us a good start and left us in a place to win, and Liam Henry and Rhett Harper gave us four scoreless innings down the stretch.

"Fourteen hits is one of the best offensive nights we've had," Frady continued. "Darius Sewell had a good night, Romero Greer had a good night, Nick Gatewood had a good night, Cam Sperry had a big double, and then Ryan Blanton had an extremely big RBI at the end.

"It was a great team win that we needed, and it should give us confidence going to Texas State."

The win is Georgia State's second this season over a Power Five foe, along with an extra-inning victory at Ole Miss. The Panthers improved to 7-8 all-time against Big Ten teams.

Georgia State now travels to Texas State for a Sun Belt Conference weekend series.

Jacksonville State Rallies Late to Defeat Troy
TROY, Alabama – Jacksonville State scored three runs in the top of the ninth to defeat Troy, 4-3, at Riddle-Pace Field Wednesday night.

The Gamecocks (23-20) entered the ninth trailing by two before piecing together timely hitting and an error to put up three runs.

Troy (24-20) took a 3-1 lead in the third inning off an RBI single from Brandon Lockridge and a two-RBI single from Justin Friend. Friend also doubled in the second on his way to a 3-for-4 night to lead the Trojans at the plate. Matt Sanders turned in Troy's other multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Houston Mabray started the game on the mound for Troy and allowed only a run on six hits in six innings of work – with the only run coming on a second-inning homer.

Marc Skinner (3-4) entered in the ninth with an opportunity to break Troy's all-time saves record before allowing three runs – two earned – on three hits in the inning to suffer the loss on the hill.

Clayton Daniel led Jacksonville State going 3-for-5 at the plate, driving in a run and scoring another.

Justin Hoyt (4-1) won the game in relief – throwing one inning without allowing a hit or a run. Trent Simpson earned his second save of the season following a shutdown ninth that included two strikeouts.

QUOTABLE
"It's disappointing when you have the lead in the ninth and you can't pull the win out," Troy head coach Mark Smartt said. "Mabray threw great on the mound and did his job to give us a chance. We competed but didn't compete to win the game."

SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Justin Friend extended his hitting streak to a team-best eight games as he went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs … it was his seventh multi-hit game of the season and his ninth multi-RBI game of the season.

• Matt Sanders picked up his 17th multi-hit game of the season as he went 2-for-4 at the plate; it was his team-leading 47th of his career.

• Corey Childress picked up his third hold of the season with a perfect eighth inning while Will Carnley recorded his first career hold with a scoreless seventh inning.

WHAT'S UP NEXT
The Trojans will be back in action Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field to kick off a three-game Sun Belt set with Appalachian State. First pitch for the series opener is set for 6 p.m.

Ole Miss Homers Spoil Strong Effort for ULM
OXFORD, Miss. – The ULM baseball team received a five-plus inning start by Stephen Morrison on Wednesday afternoon as the redshirt-junior saw his first career start spoiled by a pair of home runs by Ole Miss as the hosts handed ULM a 5-3 defeat.

THE BASICS

Score: Ole Miss 5, ULM 3

Location: Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field / Oxford, Miss.

Teams: ULM (12-34, 6-15 SBC)

Ole Miss (29-17, 11-10 SEC)

TURNING POINT

-A scoreless game into the bottom of the sixth, Morrison saw Ole Miss open the inning with a single before surrendering a two-run homer to Colby Bortles that put Ole Miss on the board. The hosts finished with four runs in the frame to take control.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-A pitcher's duel through five innings, Ole Miss used Will Golsan's leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth to set the table for Bortles' two-run homer. The hosts went on to load the bases in the inning before a sacrifice fly from Brian Seamster extended the lead and Cole Zabowski's RBI single brought in the final run of the inning.

-ULM saw Spencer Hemphill deliver the team's first hit of the afternoon in the top of the seventh before Tyler Cox turned on a two-run homer over the left field wall to cut into the deficit.

-Ole Miss answered with a solo home run by Nick Fortes in the bottom of the seventh for its final run, while the Warhawks responded again in the top of the eighth on Hemphill's RBI sacrifice fly but stranded two runners to end the frame. In the ninth, ULM saw a leadoff walk turn into a double play before a two-out single by Blake Buckman was stranded to end the night.

-ULM finished six hits – one apiece from Cade Stone, Turner Francis, Herrera, Hemphill, Cox and Buckman, while Cox (two) and Hemphill drove in the Warhawk runs.

-Morrison was saddled with the loss after allowing the two-run homer as his only blemish while working around six hits and two walks in his five-plus innings. Keegan Curtis (two innings) and Herrera wrapped up the final three frames, with Curtis allowing three runs on five hits, while Herrera worked out of walks in his inning of work.

-Ole Miss saw Golsan, Fortes and Zabowski all finish with two hits each for six of the team's 11 total hits, while starter Sean Johnson earned the win after six-plus innings, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out six batters.

UP NEXT

-ULM now returns home this weekend as Coastal Carolina comes to Monroe for a three-game Sun Belt Conference weekend series beginning Friday night with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch before afternoon contests on Saturday (2:00 p.m.) and Sunday (1:00 p.m.) to close the weekend.