MONROE, La. – Georgia State used a three-run sixth inning to take the lead and held off challenges from ULM over the final four innings as the Panthers won the Sun Belt Conference opener, 4-3, Friday night at Warhawk Field.
Kyle Riesselman had three hits, including the game-tying RBI single, while Dalton Pearson had two hits and the go-ahead 2-RBI single for Georgia State (5-14 overall, 1-0 Sun Belt Conference).
Michael Cervantes had two hits for ULM (7-7, 0-1) while
Mason Holt and
Ryan Humeniuk each picked up an RBI in the loss.
ULM claimed an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Travis Washburn reached base on an error and scored on Holt's RBI triple to the left centerfield gap. Holt came in to score on Humeniuk's sacrifice fly for the 2-0 advantage.
Both starting pitchers settled in and the score held to the fifth inning, when GSU scratched across a run as Riesselmann scored on Griffin Cheney's sacrifice bunt to cut the gap to 2-1.
Georgia State took the lead in the top of the sixth. Riesselmann's RBI single to plate Cameron Jones tied the game at two. Moments later, the Panthers took the lead as Pearson's RBI single to right brought home Abboud and Riesselmann to lead 4-2.
ULM answered in the bottom of the sixth inning as Humeniuk scored on a wild pitch to cut the gap to 4-3.
Trace Henry reached base on a two-out walk and stole second base. Cervantes followed with a single to right field, but Henry was thrown out trying to score the game tying run as Georgia State kept the 4-3 lead.
The Warhawks put runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh inning, a runner on second with two outs in the eighth inning and runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth inning but couldn't scratch across the game-tying run.
Georgia State's Ryan Watson (2-2) earned the win on the mound, throwing six innings and allowing three runs, all unearned, on six hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.
Cam Barlow (2-2) suffered the loss for ULM, pitching 5 2/3 innings with four runs, three earned on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
ULM and Georgia State continue the series at 2 p.m. Saturday at Warhawk Field. Links to live video, audio and stats are available at ULMWarhawks.com.
