STATESBORO -- Georgia State scored the tying run in the top of the ninth inning but fell 5-4 at Georgia Southern in Game 2 of the Sun Belt Conference series at J.I. Clements Field.

The Panthers (15-15, 7-4 Sun Belt) took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Eagles scored two runs on slow chopper down the third base line when the throw by third baseman Will Mize was wild.

In the top of the ninth, Mike Maginnis doubled with one out and then Luke Boynton was intentionally walked. After Maginnis moved to third on a fly out, JoJo Jackson blooped a single into shallow right field to bring home the tying run.

But in the bottom half, Georgia Southern (17-14, 7-4) loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and an infield single. GSU reliever Davis Chastain (1-2) struck out Cade Parker for the first out and got ahead on Jarrett Jenkins, who hit the 0-2 pitch back to the mound, but the ball hit Chastain's foot and rolled to second base, allowing the winning run to score.  

Boynton, the senior slugger who started for the first time in nearly a month due to injury, led off the second inning with his sixth homer to give Georgia State an early 1-0 lead. That was career homer No. 35 for the first baseman, who is tied for sixth in GSU history.

After Georgia Southern answered in the bottom of the second, Georgia State regained the lead on a sacrifice fly by Brennan Hudson in the third. The Panthers added another run in the fourth when Maximus Martin singled and moved to second on a throwing error that allowed Jae Williams to score from third.

The Panthers collected 11 hits in the game but left 13 on base. Maginnis was 3-for-5, while Boynton and Ryan Dyal had two hits each.

The series finale is Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.