ATLANTA -- Nick Gatewood homered twice and drove in six runs to back a complete game performance by Hunter Gaddis and lead Georgia State to a 7-2 victory over South Alabama in the opening game of their Sun Belt Conference series Friday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Gatewood, the junior catcher, hit a solo homer in the first inning, a three-run homer in the third and a two-run single in the fourth. His six RBIs are the most by a Panther since Joey Roach drove in six vs. Mercer in 2015.
Gaddis allowed two runs on just four hits and struck out eight in his second complete game of the season to improve to 5-1 on the season and help the Panthers (12-10, 1-3 Sun Belt) snap a six-game losing streak.
The sophomore right-hander blanked the Jaguars for seven innings before allowing two runs in the eighth. He retired the first eight batters of the game before allowing a two-out hit in the third inning to Will Luft. Then he struck out South Alabama (12-10, 2-2 Sun Belt) standout Travis Swaggerty to end the inning and begin a string of seven straight batters retired. A leadoff walk by Hunter Stokes in the sixth was the Jaguars next baserunner, but he was erased on Georgia State's NCAA-leading 29th double play of the season.
South Alabama managed two runs in the eighth, aided by a fly ball that became a double when it was misjudged by the right fielder. Swaggerty brought home one run on a groundout, and then Dylan Hardy drove in another with a single through the left side, but shortstop Justin Jones caught a soft liner to end the inning.
Gatewood got the scoring started for Georgia State with his solo blast to right center in the first inning. In the third inning, after Romero Greer reached on third-strike wild pitch and Jones walked, Gatewood smashed another one to right center for the first two-homer game of his career. He now has a team-leading seven home runs on the season.
In the fourth, Georgia State loaded the bases on two hit batters and a walk to bring up Gatewood with two outs, and he singled up the middle just out of reach of the second baseman to bring home two more runs and put GSU up 6-0.
The Panthers added to their lead in the fifth as Jake Corso led off with a double down the right field line, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Andrew Keene's blooper dropped into shallow center.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.
