Atlanta, Ga. – Looking for its second dramatic ninth-inning comeback of the week, Western Carolina baseball pushed across three runs in the top of Sunday's final frame of the series rubber match with Georgia State, but the seven-run deficit was too much to overcome as the Panthers claimed the game and series with the 8-4 victory at the GSU Baseball Complex.
WCU's offense was held in check most of the day by an eight-inning pitching performance by Georgia State's starter Cole Roberts who struck out nine and limited the Catamounts to just two runs, the second scoring after he exited the mound. Two Panther pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts without issuing a walk in the series finale.
Jack Spyke and
Jaylen Jones both drove in runs in 2-for-4 efforts at the plate with two singles apiece with
Trent Turner likewise posting a pair of singles to push his active hitting streak to a team-long 12-straight games.
Elijah Smith collected WCU's lone extra-base hit with a double in a 1-for-4 outing.
Hayden Friese (0-for-4) saw his impressive reached-base-safely streak of 24-straight games dating back to last season come to a close.
Trey Spees was plunked for the fourth time in the series to extend his on-base streak to a now team-long 16 straight, just ahead of Turner at 14.
Georgia State (12-4) got a pair of home runs from William Maginnis (2-for-3) and Colin Hynek (1-for-4), with Kaleb Freeman doubling in a 2-for-3 effort in the lead-off spot.
Maginnis broke a scoreless game with a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning as Georgia State pulled ahead after two. The Catamounts evened the game with a solo marker in the fifth as consecutive singles by Spyke and Jones put two aboard. A productive ground out by Smith put two in scoring position where Spyke raced home with the game-tying run on a wild pitch to knot the game at one through five complete.
In the sixth inning, Georgia State loaded the bases with nobody out after back-to-back singles and a walk filled the paths. Shortstop Carter Bailey drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly for the first out, with right fielder
Elijah Smith collecting another assist as he threw out Michael Maginnis also trying to advance to second for the double play. A fly ball out then ended the threat with a one-run margin, 2-1.
The Panthers hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-1 before tacking on three more insurance markers in the eighth with an RBI single by William Maggins and a two-run knock by John Beverly to make it 8-1 headed to the ninth.
Turner led off the ninth with a single through the right side, chasing Roberts from the mound. Back-to-back singles by
Mason Holton and
Noah Quarless scored Turner before Spyke drove an RBI single up the middle that scored Holton.
Jaylen Jones then drove a single through the right side with a run attached to provide the final tally.
WCU starter
Davis Wright (0-2) was again saddled with the loss after another good outing, surrendering just two runs while scattering four hits over six innings of work. He worked around a walk with four strikeouts. Caden Fuller was tagged for three runs on two hits with a walk and
Jacob Arnberger walked two with a strikeout in an inning of one-run, hitless relief.
Cannon Pickell collected the final two outs – one on a strikeout, though surrendered a pair of unearned runs.
Roberts (2-1) limited WCU to two runs on five hits with nine strikeouts in earning the win for Georgia State. Reliever T Benford recorded the final three outs in the ninth, though he surrendered three runs – one charged to Roberts and two of his own making - on four hits with a strikeout.
Sunday's four runs are the fewest by the Catamounts since being shut out at Georgia Southern back on opening weekend. WCU has scored double-digit runs in eight of its last 11 games.
Western Carolina (7-9) concludes its five-game road swing on Tuesday (March 11) with a trip to Boiling Springs, N.C., to face Gardner-Webb with a 4 p.m. first pitch at Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com. WCU then opens an eight-game homestand at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium beginning with Eastern Illinois (March 14-16).
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