What You Need to Know:
• Georgia State fell to Sun Belt Conference leader and No. 23-ranked South Alabama 9-3.
• Joey Roach and Jarrett Hood drove in runs for the Panthers.
• The series continues with a 2 p.m. game Saturday.

ATLANTA -- Georgia State fell to Sun Belt Conference leader and No. 23-ranked South Alabama 9-3 in the series opener Friday in the GSU Baseball Complex.

South Alabama (32-11, 17-2 Sun Belt) starter Kevin Hill, the top pitcher in the Sun Belt, tossed a complete-game, six-hitter to improve to 8-1 on the season. The senior right-hander leads the nation in strikeouts, and he added seven tonight.

Georgia State starter Wayne Wages (4-4) had won his last three starts, including last Friday's near-perfect game, but he allowed four runs on six hits in the first inning, snapping his string of consecutive scoreless innings at 17.

Ryan Blanton led off the game for Georgia State (19-22, 7-12) with a triple to the right field corner, his third of the season, and scored on Joey Roach's groundout, but the Panthers could never get much going offensively against Hill. Roach's RBI was his team-leading 41st of the season.

Justin Jones and Darius Sewell had two hits each for GSU, and Jarrett Hood drove in a run on a groundout.

The series continues with a 2 p.m. game Saturday.