What You Need to Know:
• Joey Roach hit two home runs, his sixth and seventh of the season, but Georgia State fell at Auburn 7-4.
• Roach's two-run blast put GSU ahead 2-0 early, and the Panthers were within 4-3 in seventh when Auburn scored two insurance runs.
• Ryan Blanton had three hits, Jaylen Woullard tripled and Justin Jones had an RBI for the Panthers.
AUBURN, ALA. -- Joey Roach homered twice, but Georgia State fell at Auburn 7-4 Tuesday at Plainsman Park. Roach's two-run blast gave GSU an early 2-0 lead, and the Panthers (14-15) were within 4-3 in the seventh inning when the Tigers (14-15) scored two insurance runs.
Roach, the senior catcher, now has seven homers on the season and 21 in his career. In addition to his two-run in the third, he belted a long solo shot in the eighth inning for three RBI on the night. This is the third multi-homer game of his career.
After Roach's first homer put the Panthers ahead 2-0 in the third inning, Auburn pushed across a run in the fourth and then scored three in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.
Georgia State put together a two-out rally in the seventh, started by Jaylen's Woullard's triple to right center. He came home on Justin Jones' infield single to pull the Panthers within 4-3. Ryan Blanton followed with a single, his third hit of the day, but the inning ended on a strikeout.
Then Auburn scored two in the seventh to move ahead 6-3, and then an unearned run in the eighth.
Jones, the sophomore shortstop, also turned two double plays and made two diving plays to save runs.
GSU starter Garrett Ford (2-4) kept his team in the game, pitching into the seventh inning, his season-long outing, for the Panthers' depleted staff.
Georgia State managed eight hits on the night, but three Auburn pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts.
The Panthers travel to Little Rock this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt series beginning Friday.
