Box Score  
The Clark Atlanta Panthers closed out a tough, three-game series with Virginia State Sunday at Bill Evans Field by losing both ends of a doubleheader, 8-7 in extra innings and 17-4 in the second game.

The Panthers (0-2) opened the day with a first game in which a planned seven-inning game had to go to 13 before anyone came out on top of a wild, back-and-forth battle.

CAU's Jerry "Tripp" Freeman was hit by a pitch in the second, followed by singles by Jalen Mason and Eason Bing. Darrin Brown then walked, scoring Freeman. Mason scored when Daniel Gay walked and then Andrew Gaskin singled in Brown and Bing to put CAU up 4-0.  A balk by Virginia State (2-0) pitcher Grayson Spain allowed Gay to score to end a five-run CAU inning.

VSU got on the board when Ricky Jones homered over the left field fence in the fourth to make it 5-1 CAU.  In the sixth, the Trojans got two more in the sixth when Jones scored on single and Christian Henderson singled in another run to make it 5-3.

In the seventh, VSU's Emmett Jefferson doubled and then Jones homered again, tying the game at 5-5.  CAU got one on in the bottom of the seventh, but the inning ended on a strikeout and then a runner's interference call to send the game into extra innings.

VSU was able to get runners to second and third in the eighth, but Justice Page struck out Nicholas Woolfolk to end the threat.  CAU also got two of in the bottom of the inning but wasn't able to push a run across the plate.

Despite getting runners on base ninth and tenth, neither team could get a run.  In the 11^th VSU scored after getting two singles and an intentional walk and then Jefferson was hit by a pitch to score David Johnson to take an 6-5 lead.   But the bottom of the 11th inning saw Deandre Swift single in Bing to tie the game at 6-6.

The 12^th saw VSU get two singles and another runner reaching on an infield error to load the bases. Christian Henderson then worked a walk from Jayden Dixon to score a run to go tup 7-6.  The bottom of the 12^th saw Manuel double for CAU and eventually scoring on a Freeman ground out to again tie the game at 7-7.

Two walks and a batter being hit loaded the bases for VSU in the 13^th.   Johnson hit a ground ball that led to an error by Mason, allowing VSU's Kevon Wharton to score and giving the Trojans an 8-7 lead.   CAU couldn't continue their late game magic, going three up and three down to end the game.

Bing and Gaskin led CAU with two hits each with Bing scoring twice and Gaskin driving in a run.  On the mound, Michael Fegins struck out seven over four innings while Page fanned six over five innings.

VSU was led by Jones' two homers, four hits, three RBIs and three runs scored. Grayson Spain pitched nine innings, striking out 12 while allowing eight CAU hits and five runs.

In the second game, VSU jumped out early with four runs in the top of the first on hits by Hammond,  Joshua Tayman, and Avante Banks and three CAU walks to go up 4-0.  In the bottom of the first, Manuel's sacrifice fly drove in Brown, followed by a Charles Barber single that drove in Gaskin to make it 4-2. 

Virginia State scored three runs in the second and fourth innings, two runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings while CAU bats cooled on a chilly day as VSU pulled away for a 17-4 win.

Gaskin had two hits and two RBIs for CAU while Bing added two hits. Barber and Manuel each drove in runs.  CAU used three pitchers who combined for five strikeouts, but gave up 17 hits and walked 11.

VSU was led by Jones who went 3-for-5 with two doubles, driving in three runs and scoring three times. Banks was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

The Panthers are back in action when they play in the Peachtree City Classic this weekend. On Friday, Feb. 11 they take on Cedarville University at 5 p.m. at Home Plate Field in Peachtree City, Ga.