ATLANTA, Ga.- The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team carried a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning at GSU Baseball Complex, however Georgia State managed to conjure up a walk-off home run to defeat the Skyhawks, 9-7.
Three UT Martin players had multi-hit performances including TJ Grines (two hits, one double, one RBI, one stolen base), Jonah Katsaboulas (three hits, two runs scored, one walk) and Garner Anderson (3-for-3 day, two RBI, one stolen base, one run scored). Additionally, Cameron Greene (two RBI), Jalen Fithian (two walks, one run scored) and Tommy Koch (one RBI, one walk) energized the Skyhawk offense.
Drake Bayles went 4.2 innings with three strikeouts while Jeb Bartle (0-1) pitched 3.2 innings and struck out four.
For the second straight outing the Skyhawks got on the scoreboard first, this time from an RBI single by Anderson to score Katsaboulas in the second. Bayles provided two scoreless innings (including a perfect second frame) with no hits allowed to begin the game.
The Panthers (5-0) brought home three runs in the third but Bayles quickly recovered, retiring two straight batters. Another run in the fourth brought the Georgia State lead to 4-1 going toward the fifth frame.
UT Martin erupted in the top part of the inning, all starting from a two-RBI single by Greene that brought the deficit down to one. Koch would keep the line moving after an RBI base hit to tie the game and Anderson proceeded to drop down a sacrifice bunt that scored Greene and gave the Skyhawks the edge at 5-4.
Bayles finished his outing with the first two outs of the home half and Bartle entered from the bullpen to retire the final batter from a flyout to center field. Bartle made it a 1-2-3 sixth and worked around two baserunners in the seventh to keep it a one-run lead for the Orange and Blue.
UT Martin (2-3) added insurance in the eighth after a Grines punched a single through the left side to score Anderson. Fithian then would reach home following a failed pickoff attempt to bring the Skyhawk lead to 7-4.
However, Georgia State would not go down easy. The Panthers hit a two-run home run in the eighth to get the lead back down to one and scored the winning run in the ninth off another two-run round tripper.
UT Martin will look to bounce back tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the series finale.
