Troy State’s Jason Bernard picked up his ninth win of the year in a 4-1 victory over Trans America Athletic opponent Georgia State in the first of a three-game weekend series Friday at Riddle-Pace Field.

Bernard (9-1), a senior from Panama City, Fla., ties the NCAA leader for winning percentage and total wins this season as the Trojans (16-16, 5-5 TAAC) even up their overall and conference record. The righty threw his seventh complete game of the year in 11 starts.

"Jason’s a fighter and he doesn’t give up," said head coach John Mayotte. "It’s nice to go out there every Friday and know you have a pretty good chance of winning because he’s on the mound."

Home runs by junior Lance Newman and freshman Brian Lipman and a RBI single to left center by senior Casey Smith put four runs on the board for Troy State in three consecutive innings starting in the fourth to give them a 4-0 lead.

After eight scoreless innings, the Panthers (14-19, 3-7 TAAC) finally posted their only run of the game in the top of the ninth off of a solo homer by Mic Knox.

Starter David Hawkins (2-4) suffered the loss on the mound for Georgia State, scattering four earned runs off of 10 hits in seven innings.