What You Need to Know:
• Georgia State fell to Troy 4-2 in 11 innings.
• GSU had 12 hits but hit into three double plays and left nine on base.
• Saturday's 2 p.m. contest is Senior Day as eight GSU seniors will be honored before the game.
ATLANTA -- After Georgia State tied the game in the seventh inning, Troy pushed across two runs in the bottom of the 11th to win 4-2 Friday night at the GSU Baseball Complex.
With Georgia State (23-27, 9-16 Sun Belt) trailing 2-1, Luke Leonard and Justin Jones led off with back to back singles, and Ryan Blanton was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.
Then Jarrett Hood blooped a single into shallow right center to bring home the tying run with bases still loaded and only one out.
Freshman Darius Sewell hit a hard ground ball to short and the Trojans turned the double play, just getting Sewell at first as the close call went against the Panthers and kept the game tied at 2-2.
In the 11th, Troy took the lead on Chase Whitaker's double to right field and then added an insurance run on Peyton Fuller's single.
Facing Sun Belt ERA leader Grant Bennett, who entered the game with an 8-2 record, GSU had 12 hits, despite playing without injured standout Joey Roach. But the Panthers hit into three double plays and left nine on base.
Blanton put GSU on the scoreboard first with a two-out, RBI single in the third inning, scoring Leonard, who had two hits on the night.
But Troy (28-23, 13-12) answered with a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead.
Georgia State senior left-hander Wayne Wages turned in another strong start but did not figure in the decision. He allowed just two run on five hits over seven innings with three strikeouts and three walks.
Sophomore reliever Rhett Harper (2-2) gave up just one hit and faced the mininum over the eighth, ninth and 10th innings before allowing two runs in the 11th.
Troy reliever Corey Childress (2-2) earned the victory with five scoreless innings in which he surrendured just one hit.
"It was a great college game," head coach Greg Frady said. "Wayne Wages pitched a great game, and Rhett Harper did a great job in relief, but things just didn't go our way. We had a couple of opportunities, but we've got to score more than two runs. We've got to do a better job in situational hitting. Now we've got to get ready for tomorrow."
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. Georgia State's eight seniors will honored in pregame ceremonies.
