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Panthers Drop #9 Georgia Tech Wednesday, 5-4

ATLANTA- Shortstop Caden Bailey snagged a line drive with two outs in the ninth inning and the tying run on third base to give the Georgia State baseball team a 5-4 upset of Georgia Tech (#9 NCBWA/USA Today) at the GSU Baseball Complex Wednesday evening.

It is the Panthers' second straight win over a ranked Tech squad and fourth in the last six years. The win is GSU's fourth all-time victory against a top-10 opponent, three of them coming against the Yellow Jackets.

GSU freshman Max Schmitz (2-1) earned the win by allowing just one unearned run over five innings to a Tech offense that averaged over eight per game entering Wednesday. He struck out four and yielded only three hits. Sophomore Hunter Cash picked up his first career save by recording the final four outs.

Drew Shields and Mark Hogan each had two hits while Brandon Williams scored twice for the Panthers.

GSU improved to 7-6 on the season while Tech fell to 10-3.

"This was a huge win tonight," said Panthers head coach Greg Frady. "It means a lot to our players and this team. A win like this can really give you some confidence and get you going."

After Tech plated the first run of the game in the fourth inning, the Panthers claimed the lead right back in the bottom half. Landon Bennett drove in Williams from second on a two-out single, then scored two batters later on a single by Roy Seltenrijch as GSU went up 2-1.

The Panthers added three more runs in the fifth, aided by three hits and four Yellow Jacket errors in the inning. Shields and Joel Van Asch each reached base then came around to score with the help of Tech miscues to make it 4-1, then Hogan's first of two hits on the night scored Williams for a four-run cushion.

Tech began its rally with two runs in the seventh but it remained 5-3 entering the top of the ninth as GSU reliever Connor Stanley helped stem the momentum.

Jackets utility player Jake Davies singled and his pinch runner later scored on a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-4 game. Tech's Sam Dove walked then reached third base with two outs, but Hyde's attempt to drive him in found Bailey's glove for the final out of the game.

It was the Panthers' first home win over Tech since 2000, when the Yellow Jackets were ranked sixth in the nation. GSU also defeated a ranked Tech squad in Frady's first season in 2007, then again in 2009 and 2011.

The Panthers take on another local foe this weekend in Kennesaw State, with first pitch Friday slated for 6 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex.

Be sure to keep us updated, ed.

Nice! I love it when Tech loses to anyone.

I wonder if that will help the Dawgs move up in the next poll.