March 2, 2011
ATLANTA – Mark Micowski had three hits and drove in two runs to lead Georgia State to a 6-3 win over the 23rd-ranked Georgia Tech baseball team Wednesday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The senior left fielder was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run and two RBI to lead the Panthers to their second win in the last nine games against the Yellow Jackets.
Sophomore Brandon Thomas and freshman Mott Hyde had two hits apiece to lead Georgia Tech.
Senior Aiden Francis (1-0) earned the win for Georgia State, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out six in seven innings.
Micowski drove in the game’s first two runs for the Panthers, with his round-tripper in the first inning and a RBI single to left field in the third off of Georgia Tech starter Matthew Grimes.
The Jackets tied the game at 2-2 behind an RBI single by Thomas in the third, and a RBI groundout from freshman Chase Butler an inning later.
Georgia State would score two runs in the fifth, and one in the eighth to gain its largest lead of the game at 5-2.
“We made a lot of mistakes in the game, and they took advantage of them,” head coach Danny Hall said. “They got some hits when they needed too. Right now we are struggling to have guys step up when we need them to get a hit, or even put the ball into play. Until we figure that out, we are going to struggle.”
The Panthers totaled four runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings against Grimes (1-1), who lost for the first time this season. The freshman had nine strikeouts in the outing, but issued three walks.
Junior Jake Davies’ pinch-hit RBI single to right center cut the lead to 5-3 with one out and two runners on in the bottom half of the inning, but Georgia State reliever Jake Dyer struck out freshman DeAndre Smelter and Butler to escape the inning.
GSU added a run in the ninth on a wild pitch by sophomore Luke Bard to make it a 6-3 game.
The Jackets return to action this weekend when they host Big East opponent Rutgers for a three-game series beginning Friday at 4 p.m. Action continues Saturday at 2 p.m. before the series concludes on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.
