BOONE, N.C. – App State Baseball trimmed a three-run deficit to one in the seventh inning but was unable to complete the comeback bid in a 4-2 loss to Georgia State on Thursday at Smith Stadium.
Elsewhere in conference play, ULM defeated South Alabama, pulling the Mountaineers one win away from clinching a spot in next week's Sun Belt tournament.
Despite out-hitting Georgia State (25-29, 10-18) 9-6 in the contest, App State (22-29, 12-16) lined into three double plays and went just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position on the night.
Trailing 3-0 with two outs in the seventh inning,
Dillon Moquin popped a ball up on the infield and none of Georgia State's defenders were able to get to it in time to make a play, allowing
Riley Luft to score from third and
Tyler Figueroa from second to make it a 3-1 game.
Moquin led the Mountaineers with three hits, while Luft and
Tyler Lichtenberger also enjoyed two-hit efforts.
The Panthers answered with an insurance run in the top of the eighth and the Mountaineers were unable to draw any closer.
Georgia State starter Brian Crooms was outstanding, striking out a career-high nine batters in 6.2 innings to earn the win in his second start of the season. The visitors took the lead with two runs in the third inning and added one more in the fifth.
The App State bullpen was strong, allowing just two runs over 6.1 innings with
Carter Boyd,
Reyn Watson and
Cody Little all registering scoreless outings.
The Mountaineers also made several standout defensive plays including a 1-6-4-3 double play on a ball that ricocheted off Boyd's glove in the fifth inning, a 5-2 double play to nab a runner at the plate in the eighth and a sliding catch by Figueroa in center field to end the eighth inning.
App State will look to punch their ticket to the Sun Belt tournament with a win on Friday with first pitch set for 6 p.m. It's youth day and all children age 12 and under will receive free admission. The 2025 App State baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
