CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Will Patota drove in five runs and Tyler Roche turned in another quality start on the mound as Georgia State defeated Western Carolina 13-5 to complete a three-game sweep in Cullowhee, N.C. The Panthers never trailed in 27 innings of baseball.
Roche (2-1), the junior right-hander, went six innings, giving up three runs on just three hits while striking out six with three walks to win his second straight decision.
Patota, the senior outfielder, came off the bench and contributed a 3-run double and then a 2-run single for his five RBI. Jesse Donohoe and Ryan Dyal homered, and Matt Ruiz went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple.
After sweeping a doubleheader Saturday, Georgia State (5-6) jumped in front early Sunday with five runs in the first three innings. Taylor Shultz's RBI-single in the second plated the first run, and then the Panthers scored four in the second, including Dyal's 3-run homer, his second straight game with a long ball.
Donohoe led off the fourth with a solo homer to make it 6-0 before Western Carolina (4-7) got on the board with three runs in the bottom half to pull within 6-3. But the Panthers responded immediately with four in the fifth, including Patota's bases-clearing double, to move ahead 10-3.Â
Georgia State returns home to host in-state foe Mercer Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex.
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