What You Need to Know:
• Jarrett Hood drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single in the sixth inning to lift GSU to a 4-3 win over Kennesaw State.
• Alex Hegner (win) and Clayton Payne (save) combined to finish the game with 4.1 innings of scoreless relief.
• GSU hosts Sun Belt leader South Alabama for a weekend series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
ATLANTA -- Jarrett Hood's bases-loaded, two-run single in the sixth inning gave Georgia State the lead, and Alex Hegner and Clayton Payne finished the job with scoreless relief as the Panthers defeated Kennesaw State 4-3 Wednesday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Georgia State (19-21) trailed 3-2 when Brandon Gonzalez and Ryan Blanton led off the sixth inning with back-to-back walks. After Justin Jones bunted them over, Kennesaw State (20-23) intentionally walked Joey Roach to load the bases.
That brought Hood to the plate, and he hit the 3-2 pitch from Brock Turner (1-2) up the middle for a two-run single to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish.
Hegner (1-0), a senior right-hander, entered the game with two on and two outs in the fifth and struck out Justin Motley to end the threat. From there, he allowed only a pair of singles in the sixth in 2.1 scoreless innings to earn his first victory.
Payne, another senior righty, came on in the eighth and struck out three of the first four batters he faced. With one out in the ninth, he allowed a walk and a single before rolling a game-ending 6-4-3 double play to record his first save.
"To grind it out and find a way to win against our in-town rival means a lot," head coach Greg Frady. "Our pitchers really did a great job. I'm particularly happy for Clayton Payne to finish that game. We had a couple of timely hits, and that was just enough to get it done."
After KSU took an early lead with two runs in the first inning, Roach drove in the Panthers' first run in the third with a sacrifice fly. Then Gonzalez tied the game in the fourth with a run-scoring double to right center.
But the Owls moved ahead 3-2 on a wild pitch in the fifth before Hood's winning hit in the sixth.
Hood hit his Sun Belt-leading 17th double in the second inning. Ryan Blanton and James Clements had two hits each for the Panthers.
Blanton also saved a run in the fourth inning when he threw out a runner at the plate with a strong throw from center field.
Georgia State continues its homestand as Sun Belt leader South Alabama comes to town for a three-game series, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex.
