Baseball 5/2/2014 8:24:00 PM None

Panthers Fall 8-1 to South Alabama in Series Opener

ATLANTA -- Georgia State dropped an 8-1 decision to South Alabama in the opening game of their Sun Belt Conference series Friday evening at the GSU Baseball Complex.

The Panthers (21-25, 7-15 Sun Belt) managed just four hits off South Alabama (21-24, 10-11) left-hander Locke St. John (6-1), who pitched a complete-game, allowing one run with one walk and six strikeouts to earn his sixth victory of the season.

"He was the story of the game, there is no doubt about that," GSU head coach Greg Frady said of St. John. "He is one of the top pitchers in the conference, and we thought coming in this would be a tough matchup. It didn't go our way tonight, but that's why you play a three-game series, and I look for us to bounce back tomorrow."

Chris Triplett had two hits for GSU and drove in the Panthers' only run with a run-scoring double in the fourth inning. That made the score 2-1, South Alabama, but the Jaguars got that run back in the fifth and then blew the game open with six runs in the sixth.

"When you are facing a guy as good as Locke St. John was tonight, you have to take advantage of every opportunity, and we just didn't have many," Frady said. "Conversely, they got some two-out RBIs that really were the difference in the game."

After opening the game with three scoreless innings in which he faced the minimum, GSU starter Kenny Anderson (4-4) was tagged for all eight runs.

Senior lefty Hunter Cash finished the game with three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and stiking out three.

"Hunter did a super job, blanking them for three innings. He gave us a chance to catch up, but we just couldn't get anything going offensively."

Cole Gleason drove in four runs for the Jaguars with two-run homer and a two-run double.

Game 2 of the series is Saturday at 2 p.m. and will broadcast on 1340 the Fan 3. Georgia State is partnering with Zeta Tau Alpha sorority for a Breast Cancer Awareness day.

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