PANTHERSVILLE, Georgia - Hunter Ridge and Corey Dick had three hits apiece as UNCW plated five runs in the middle three innings for a 7-3 win over Georgia State in Colonial Athletic Association action on Saturday.

The Seahawks won their seventh straight CAA series with the victory and raised its records to 27-16 overall and 17-3 in the league. The Panthers, meanwhile, saw their record dip to 18-25 and 9-11.

Mat Batts (4-4) evened his record with the win for UNCW, allowing three runs, two earned, over six innings. He was tagged for eight hits and walked two, but raised his conference-leading strikeout total to 69 with eight strikeouts on the afternoon.

Ricky Holden tossed three hitless, shutout innings for his third save and lowered his CAA-leading earned runs average to 1.37.

UNCW jumped in front with a run off GSU starter Ben Marshall (4-5) in the top of the first when Ridge singled in Matt Campbell, who opened the game with a walk.

GSU struggled in the first two innings against Batts, striking out five times, but plated a pair of runs in the third on an infield single by Jonathan Kolowich and an ensuing throwing error.

Dick launched his sixth home run of the season leading off the fourth against Marshall and UNCW would push that lead to 5-2 in the fifth with three runs and knocking Marshall out of the game. Jake Koenig scored the first with a sacrifice fly and Michael Bass later doubled in Dick from first. The final run came across on a wild pitch for a 6-2 lead.

Tyler Molinaro belted his team-leading 10th homer of the season to lead off the 6th and make it 7-2 UNCW. GSU had narrowed its deficit to 6-3 the previous half inning on a two-out RBI single by Caden Bailey.

Marshall was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings. It was just the second time this season he didn't make it into the seventh inning.

Kolowich and Bailey each had two hits for the Panthers.

Molinaro and Bass also had two hits for UNCW, which held a 13-8 advantage in the hit column.

The series concludes on Sunday with first-pitch slated for 1 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex.