After falling behind early 2-0 when the Panthers scored twice in the first inning, freshman starter Nick Smith settled down and blanked Georgia State over the next four innings. The Leathernecks scored seven unanswered runs in that span to take the lead.

Tyler Clayburn retired the first six batters he faced before Ryan Cowhey led off the third with a single. He scored on Dan Dispensa's sacrifice fly. Western took the lead in the fourth when Clayburn's throwing error into centerfield allowed Matt Igara to score, then Steve Kedroski scored on Cowhey's sacrifice fly later that inning.

In the fifth Austin Cowen doubled with one out and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-2. Western scored three times in the sixth, thanks to consecutive singles with two outs from Dispensa, Cowen and Igara after Manny Reyes lined a one-out RBI single earlier.

The Panthers (2-1) loaded the bases with no one out in the sixth thanks to two walks and a single. That chased the starter Smith. Georgia State took advantage of four errors and two more walks to score six runs and still had the bases loaded with no one out. Nick Milligan came on in relief of Sam Welvaert in the sixth. He got a fielder's choice, infield fly and groundout to end the inning.

Three more runs came across in the seventh with four walks and a two-run double by Jonathan Kolowich.

Western threatened in the ninth. Igara was hit by a pitch to start then Kedroski singled. Two batters later Rich Mascheri reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners with two outs. Aiden McLaughlin committed a balk to bring home a run, then Cowhey lined a RBI single to bring the tying run to the plate. However, McLaughlin got a groundout to finish off the game.

Smith was charged for five runs (four earned) on six hits in five innings. He walked five and struck out five. Welvaert (0-1) suffered the loss after facing four batters but not recording an out. Brian Loconsole threw one-third of an inning and Chris Macek, returning from an injury which caused him to miss the 2011 season, kept the Panthers scoreless in the eighth. The staff however combined to issue 12 walks in the game and hit two batters.

Western out-hit the Panthers 12-7. Cowen, Igara, Kedroski, Cowhey and Reyes had two hits apiece.

Clayburn allowed six runs (five earned) in 5.1 innings. Max Schmitz (1-0) went two-thirds of an inning but picked up the win. Hunter Cash went two scoreless innings and McLaughlin was charged for two runs on two hits in an inning.

The series concludes on Sunday morning (Feb. 19), a scheduled 11 a.m. central first pitch.