Box Score | Notes

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Jakob Hernandez pitched his third quality start of the year, holding Georgia State to just two hits, helping lead UTA to a 7-1 series-clinching win over GSU, on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the GSU Baseball Complex.

UTA (11-10, 2-1 Sun Belt Conference) rode the strong start from Hernandez to the win. The Mavs fell behind to Georgia State (10-10, 1-2 SBC) after an unearned run in the third inning but bounced back to plate seven unanswered runs, including a three spot in the fourth and two runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

The series served as the opener of the league schedule in 2017, with UTA posting a 11-7 win on Friday, before falling in a pitching duel, 2-1 on Saturday, despite a heroic pitching effort from starter Trae Patterson. Over its last two games, UTA held Georgia State to just six combined hits.

ON THE MOUND
A 6-foot-4, 260-pound southpaw, Hernandez (2-0) started for the fifth consecutive Sunday. A native of Parker, Colo., he surrendered only two hits and one unearned run over 6.1 innings, allowing three walks and striking out eight. Hernandez allowed only a single in the third inning and a leadoff infield single down the first-base line in the sixth inning, with walks in the second, fifth and seventh innings.

With one out and a runner on first in the seventh, UTA turned to lefty Adam Meyer in relief of Hernandez. Meyer got three outs, allowing just a hit and striking out one. Daniel James replaced him with a runner on and one out in the eighth inning. James finished the game with the final five outs.

Brandon Baker (0-3) started for GSU, working 3.2 innings, allowing three hits and three runs, walking four and striking out four. In relief of Baker, GSU used Devin Vainer, Liam Henry, Rhett Harper, Tyler Koch and Jansen Acton.

AT THE DISH
The Mavs collected seven hits in the game, also drawing nine walks and getting plunked by three pitches. UTA got two hits from each Christian Hollie - making his first start of the year - and Quintin Rohrbaugh. The Mavs also got hits from Will Olson, Noah Vaughan and Zac Cook, with Omar Salinas, Brady Cox and Easton Johnson each scoring runs with walks.

HOW THEY SCORED
The Panthers opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning, taking a 1-0 lead on a hit and an error. Jack Thompson reached on a one-out throwing error on a slow roller up the middle, taking second on a sacrifice bunt and scoring on Ryan Blanton's RBI single up the middle.

UTA immediately answered in the top of the fourth inning as Rohrbaugh led off with a ringing double off the base of the wall in right-centerfield. After a pair of outs, Cook ripped a 3-2 offering from Baker up the middle for a RBI single. Johnson followed with a single to put a pair on for Hollie. Hollie drilled a ball up the middle, plunking second base umpire Mark Humphreys, who because he was in the infield, immediately called timeout. That loaded the bases for Salinas, who was plunked by a two-strike pitch to force home Cook. Cox followed with a four-pitch walk to score Johnson and bring in a third pitcher in the frame.

The Mavs rallied in the top of the sixth inning to stretch their lead to 5-1. Salinas drew a one-out walk and Cox was plunked by a pitch to stage a rally. After the second out, Rohrbaugh greeted Harper with a RBI single to leftfield, scoring Salinas from second. Vaughan followed with a two-out, run-scoring single of his own, pulled through the right side, with Cox sliding in feet first ahead of the tag.

In the top of the seventh inning, Johnson drew a leadoff walk and Hollie dropped a single into shallow rightfield. After Salinas advanced the pair with a unique spin grounder on the left side, Cox scored Johnson with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Olson ripped a double into the gap off the new reliever, Koch, to score Hollie and give UTA a six-run lead.

NEXT
The Mavs continue a four-game road swing, traveling to Sam Houston State on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. CT matchup in Huntsville.