Baseball Falls in Series Opener to Georgia State

Friday, April 19

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

26-14, 9-7

Georgia State

20-17, 10-6

Georgia State

Troy

Baseball Falls in Series Opener to Georgia State

4/19/2024 10:14:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. -- Game one of the Troy-Georgia State series favored the Panthers, 10-8, Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field behind nine runs in innings four through six.

Both sides measured the other through the first two innings before the Trojans started in the third via Peyton Watts, who hit safely for his seventh straight game on a single down the left-field line. Blake Sutton and Kole Myers earned a walk to load the bases before Kyle Mock hit the 1-1 single to center field and scored Watts and Sutton, 2-0. Myers stole his 24^th base of 2024 to third, allowing a 2-0 sac fly to center field by Will Butcher to bring him home for a 3-0 lead.

Georgia State started in the fourth with back-to-back singles from Will Mize and Michael Maginnis. Jesse Donohoe brought both runners home, 3-2 when he took the first pitch to left center. The Panthers tied the game two batters later, 3-3, after Donohoe advanced to third on a groundout to Tremayne Cobb Jr and JoJo Jackson singled through the left side. They continued their four-run inning on a full-count walk by Luke Boynton, and a single up the middle by Matt Ruiz scored Jackson, 4-3. Luke Lyon (5-2) stopped the run when he made a heads-up play to catch Boynton at home plate for the third out.

Mize got his second shot of the game down the third baseline for a double before Maginnis walked – groundout pushed them to second and third. With one out on the board, Donohoe sent a two-RBI double to left field as the Panthers expanded their lead to three, 6-3, at the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Troy mounted its comeback after Mock earned his second walk of the game and Butcher got HBP – passed ball advanced Mock to third. Brooks Bryan battled to a full count before smacking a two-RBI double off the right field wall, 6-5. The rally continued, 6-6, two outs and an Aidan Gilroy 4-0 walk later which set up a Watts single that led to a throwing error by Georgia State to score Bryan.

Boynton got the Panthers back to the point in the sixth on a solo shot to right center, 7-6. Ruiz followed with a 2-0 double down the third baseline, and Maximus Martin brought him home on a 3-1 single to left field, 8-6 – an error by Troy allowed runners to be placed on second and third. Logan Ross put one down swinging, but Brennan Hudson matched it with a 1-0 single to right field to extend the advantage, 9-6 – Ross struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

The margin drew to one, 9-8, at the bottom of the eighth after Mock earned a full count walk and Butcher singled through the left side on a 2-2 count. On a full-count, Bryan sent one high up to shallow left field, where the Panther's third baseman dropped the ball, allowing Mock and Butcher to score.

Ruiz put the game out of reach, 10-8, with an RBI-double to right center at the top of the ninth, scoring Jackson (singled to right field) and advancing Boynton (singled to right center). Ben Arnett earned a walk in the bottom half and Mikey Bello singled to right field to breathe life into the Trojans. But the Panthers forced the groundout to end the game and take a 1-0 advantage in the series.

Up Next
The Trojans turn around for a pair of games tomorrow with a doubleheader matchup against Georgia State, starting at 1 p.m.

Game One Stats
• The conference's leader in steals was extended in the third when Myers stole third for his 24^th base of 2024.
• Myers took sole possession of fourth in Troy history for walks in a single season with his 48^th in the third – leads the country and conference. He finished the game with two to sit two away from tying for third all-time.
• Butcher hit a sac fly for Troy's third run of the game to score Myers. It marked the 28^th sac fly, where the Trojans rank fourth nationally and first in the SBC.
• Bryan's double marked his 23^rd extra-base hit of the season, with 23 of his 43 hits going for extra bases (9 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR).
• Ross came into relief in the sixth inning for four innings pitch, one earned run, one walk and five strikeouts.
• Watts extended his career-long hitting streak and reached base streak to seven.