ATLANTA – Texas State won an important series Sunday over Georgia State, the Sun Belt Conference leader at the start of the weekend. The Bobcats clinched the series with an 8-5 victory over the Panthers behind the work of Blake Whitter on the mound and timely hitting. With the win, Texas State improves to .500 at 12-12 in the Sun Belt Conference and 20-26-1 on the season.
 
After three scoreless innings, Texas State exploded for five runs in the fourth for what would prove to be an overwhelming lead over Georgia State. Granger Studdard led off with a walk and showed his wheels with his first stolen base of the season. He was able to score from second base when Tanner Hill knocked a rocket through the right side.
 
Hill's hit started a streak of four consecutive singles from the Bobcats. Ben McElroy, David Paiz and Colby Targun all followed with their hits. For the inning, the Bobcats benefitted from four hits, a walk and an error to score five runs.
 
In the fifth inning, Texas State kept bringing the pressure. Studdard reached base on an error, one of four for Georgia State on the day. Hill and Paiz would knock a single and a walk respectively behind Studdard. With bases loaded, a groundout from Targun plated Studdard to put the Bobcats up, 6-0.
 
Georgia State, though, showed why it is one of the better offensive teams in the Sun Belt Conference with five runs in the next two innings. The Panthers used a walk, a single and a sacrifice fly to score one in the bottom of the fifth. Then, after giving up just a hit by pitch in the top of the sixth, Georgia State scored four runs to pull within one in the sixth.
 
They started with a single and a double, and followed that with a walk. Two more singles completed a four-run inning for the Panthers to get within striking distance of the Bobcats.
 
Texas State freshman Luke Sherley gave the Bobcats some breathing room in the seventh. After going the entire series without a hit, he knocked his first hit against Georgia State with two runners in scoring position. Both McElroy and Targun got on base with walks, and Sherley knocked a double to left centerfield to plate them both. The Panther outfielders collided on the play for the second time on the weekend, and the Bobcats gained some insurance runs to go up, 8-5.
 
Nobody else would score from that point. Blake Whitter made an impressive outing, going four innings in relief. He only gave up one run on four hits against the powerful GSU offense to keep Texas State in the lead.
 
Targun and Hill led the Bobcats with two hits apiece while Studdard, McElroy, Paiz and Sherley all tallied a hit in the game. Studdard, McElroy and Targun each scored twice while Targun and Sherley led the team in RBI with two each.
 
Next up for the Bobcats is a game at Texas at 6 p.m. Tuesday. After that, Texas State will host the final two series of the regular season against Arkansas State and UT Arlington to close out the season before the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament in Troy, Ala., on May 20-24.