Trojans Drop Series Finale to Georgia State

Sunday, March 19

Atlanta, Ga.

1 p.m.

Troy University

13-7, 0-3

Georgia State

12-8, 3-0

Troy

Georgia State

Photo by: Joey Meredith

Trojans Drop Series Finale to Georgia State

3/19/2023 5:24:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

ATLANTA, Ga. – Despite jumping out to a two-run lead in the first inning, the bats of Georgia State proved to be too much to overcome as they scored seven runs across the first three innings and hit five home runs in the game to earn the sweep of Troy after a 12-6 victory from the Georgia State Baseball Complex in Atlanta.

Three of the Panthers' home runs came off the bat of Dylan Strickland, giving him five for the series, as Georgia State (12-8, 3-0) got to Troy pitching putting up 18 hits

Troy (13-7, 0-3) gets swept to open Sun Belt Conference play for the first time since 2019. After scoring three runs in the first two innings, Troy would be held scoreless until Brady Moore hit a three-run home run in the top of the eighth. Moore got his first start on the year, and hit his first home run on the season, giving him back-to-back games with three RBIs.

Lance Gardiner went deep with a solo home run, and Ethan Kavanagh had a three-hit day with an RBI and a run scored.

The Trojans wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as they had a one-run lead two batters into the ball game. Kole Myers singled to lead off and was aggressive on the basepaths stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Kavanagh followed with an RBI single for his 18^th RBI of the season.

Kavanagh scored on a wild pitch later in the inning as Troy got off to a 2-0 lead.

The Panthers responded in the bottom of the first, sending all nine batters to the plate and got one of those runs back as Strickland hit his third home run of the series. However, the Trojans could not get out of the inning with the lead, as the Panthers used six hits to score four runs off Stewart.

Lance Gardiner got the Trojans within one again with his second home run of the year, making 4-3 in the top of the second, but in the Panthers half of the second, Strickland sent a ball over the fence for the second time of the day, restoring the two-run lead in the bottom of the second followed by a double scoring another Panther run.

The fourth home run for the Panthers came in the third inning, making it a 7-4 game, and Georgia State had scored a run in each of the first three innings.

Starter Grayson Stewart's day would be done shortly after going 2.2 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and not walking anyone.

Despite scoring three runs in between the first two innings, Georgia State starter Rafael Acosta went a career-high five innings, only allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts.

A five-run bottom of the fifth broke the game open, seeing the hosts score in every inning through the first five but the fourth.

The Trojans will return to Troy and welcome Florida A&M on March 22^nd from Riddle-Pace Field at 6 p.m. for a midweek contest against the SWAC opponent.