Audio
Head Coach Greg Frady
Junior Jeremy Gazerro
Redshirt-Junior Brett Maxwell
Macon, Ga. - The Georgia State baseball team extended its winning streak to four games with an 8-6 win over Mercer on Tuesday night at Claude Smith Field in Macon. Junior Jeremy Gazerro pitched 4.1 innings of one-hit relief, while redshirt-junior Brett Maxwell added two hits and scored three runs.
With the win, Georgia State improved to 18-15 on the season, while the loss dropped Mercer to 20-18. The two teams will play for the third and final time this season next Wednesday in Atlanta.
Gazerro allowed just one hit to improve to 3-2 on the season. He allowed one hit and struck out one, handing the ball off to sophomore Justin Malone who recorded the final out of the game for his third save of the season.
Malone recorded the tenth save of his career, tying the school record for saves in a career. He now shares the honor with Kevin Hopper, who played at Georgia State from 1999-2000.
"It was a tough, tough win for us tonight," commented head coach Greg Frady. "It was a hard-nosed middle of the week baseball game. I am happy to get a middle of the week win as it seems we have had some trouble in that area this year, but we bounced back tonight and put up a good lead. They made a strong run, but I feel as though the night really belonged to Jeremy Gazerro who pitched four-and-a-third and basically allowed nothing."
Maxwell put the Panthers on the board in the top of the first with a solo home run over the left field wall. It was Maxwell's second home run of the season.
Mercer responded in the bottom half of the inning when Michael Langley singled in Jacob Tanis to tie the game.
Sophomore Daniel Blaustein belted his second home run of the season in the top of the second, giving State a 2-1 lead. Blaustein finished the game 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBIs.
The Panthers added four more in the top of the third, all unearned runs after an error by Mercer third baseman Jacob Tanis. With the bases loaded, senior Carl Moniz walked to give State a 3-1 lead.
Sophomore Brandon Williams followed with a single, scoring Maxwell who had reached on Tanis' error.
Blaustein added a single to right, scoring Moniz and senior Bradley Logan to put the Panthers ahead 6-1.
Logan went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and a run batted in.
Mercer starter David Randall was relieved David Teasley after going 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and six runs, only two of which were earned. Randall walked three and struck out four.
Georgia State added another in the top of the fifth when Logan singled to left field, scoring Maxwell who had reached on a single of his own, giving the Panthers a 7-1 lead.
Tyler McCarthy belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Bears deficit to four.
Mercer cut the Panthers lead to one in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back home runs by Tanis and Langley, chasing Georgia State starter Aidan Francis from the game. Francis went 4.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs, all of which were earned, striking out six and not allowing a walk.
Francis gave way to Gazerro, who earned the win to improve to 3-2 on the season.
Teasley lasted 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and a run, giving way to Matt McCall who pitched 2.0 innings of one-hit relief.
Moniz added a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, scoring pinch-runner Bryan Condotta from third.
Randall took the loss, falling to 2-1 on the season.
Langley went 4-for-4 for Mercer with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Georgia State will return home on Friday night to face the Air Force Academy beginning at 6 p.m. To order tickets, please call 1-866-GA-STATE. You can also log on to the web at GeorgiaStateSports.com or visit any Ticketmaster location.
Live stats can be found by visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com. The game will air live on WRAS-FM 88.5 beginning at 5:30 p.m. with Panther Sports Talk.
-www.GeorgiaStateSports.com-
