ATLANTA -- Caden Bailey's walk-off single brought home Ryan Blanton with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Georgia State to an 8-7 victory over Mercer Wednesday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Chase Raffield's grand slam gave GSU (16-18) a 7-3 lead in the fifth inning, but Mercer tied the game with a run in the top of the ninth. Blanton led off the bottom of the frame with a single and moved to second on James Clements' sacrifice bunt, and then Bailey brought him home with a single up the middle to snap Mercer's (27-8) seven-game winning streak.
"That is the way your draw it up," GSU head coach Greg Frady said. "Ryan Blanton had a huge at-bat to get the inning started with a single. James Clements did his job; even though they knew he was bunting, he was able to place the ball properly. And Caden Bailey fought so hard in that at-bat. He fought off a lot of two-strike pitches and then came back with the winner.
"Our team really fought for that win, and it is the type of win that we really needed as a team," Frady said.
After falling behind 3-0 early in the game, Georgia State got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning on Matt Rose's solo home run to left field, his sixth homer of the year. Raffield belted a two-out double to left center, and then Zach Moon drove him in with a single to center to pull the Panthers within 3-2.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, speedy Trae Sweeting beat out a dribbler in front of the plate moved around to third when the catcher threw wildly into the right field corner. James Clements then delivered a run-scoring single past the first baseman to the game at 3-3. Bailey followed with a single to put runners at first and second. After Rose struck out for the second out, Nic Wilson was intentionally walked to load the bases for Raffield, who smashed the first pitch from reliever Morgan Pittman over the fence in right center for his eighth homer -- and second grand slam -- of the season.
"They decided to go after Chase with the lefty-lefty matchup, and he got a really good swing on it," Frady said. "He got the pitch he was looking for, and as a veteran hitter, he knew what to do with it. It was a huge play in the game. It gave us a 7-3 lead that we were able to manage and get into a position to win at the end."
Mercer chipped away with a run in the sixth and two in the seventh to enter the ninth inning within 7-6.
Nathaniel Lowe led off the top of the ninth for the Bears with a pinch hit single, and pinch runner Danny Edgeworth moved to second on a sacrifice. Kyle Lewis drove in Edgeworth with the tying run on a single to right field and advanced two bases on an error, putting the go-ahead run at third with one out. With Matt Meeder at the plate, Lewis was caught off third base in a run down, and then Meeder struck out to keep the score 7-7 and set the stage for Bailey's walk-off.
Bailey's game-winning single was the second walk-off hit of his career. Last season, he hit a leadoff, solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to defeat George Mason.
"It started with Ryan Blanton getting on with that single," Bailey said. "That's how you draw it up: get him on, get him over, get him in, and that's what we did. Ryan got on with a single, James did a great job laying the bunt down. Fortunately I was just the guy next in line, trying to battle and get a good pitch, and I was able to get the barrel on the ball."
Bailey had four hits in the game, including the second walk-off of his career. Last season, he hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give GSU an 8-7 win over George Mason.
Frady added, "I really like the fact that our team maintained their composure at the end," Frady said. "I felt strongly that if we could get out of the ninth inning with the game still tied, we would have an opportunity to walk off in the bottom. It worked out, and it feels really good to win."
Neither starter figured in the decision. For GSU, Wayne Wages pitched four innings and allowed three runs. Mercer's Ryan Askew allowed four runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings.
Kevin Burgee (2-1) pitched the ninth inning to earn the victory for the Panthers, while Ben Lumsden (2-3) took the loss for Mercer.
Georgia State hosts UT-Arlington for a three-game, Sun Belt Conference series Friday through Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex. Saturday's 2 p.m. game is part of GSU's All Blue-All In Day in conjunction with the football spring scrimmage in the adjacent Panthersville Stadium. Georgia State will honor its 2009 conference championship and NCAA Regional team before Saturday's game.
