What You Need to Know:
* Georgia State rallied from an 11-5 deficit to lead 12-11 before falling 13-12 to Jackson State.
* James Clements tied his career-highs with three hits and four RBI.
* The two teams play again Monday at 2 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex.
ATLANTA -- Georgia State used a seven-run seventh inning to turn an 11-5 deficit into a 12-11 lead before falling 13-12 to Jackson State Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex. James Clements led the Panthers (8-7) with three hits and four RBI, tying his career highs.
Jackson State (7-6) regained the lead in the top of the eighth on a run-scoring double by Lamar Briggs and then a sacrifice fly by Jesus Santana. Those two each drove in four runs for the Tigers.
GSU led 2-1 through four before the Tigers scored six runs run in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead, helped by an error and two walks along with Santana's three-run homer.
The Panthers managed one run in the fifth and two in the sixth on Clements' two-run single, but Jackson State added two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to lead 11-5.
That's when the Georgia State bats came alive as the Panthers sent 12 men to the plate in the seven-run inning.
Jarrett Hood, Jack Thompson and Sam Few all singled to load the bases with no outs. Luke Leonard began the scoring with a one-out, RBI-single to left, followed by Justin Jones with a run-scoring single and Ryan Blanton with a bases loaded walk to pull the Panthers within 11-8 with the bases loaded and one out.
Clements singled through the right side to bring home a Leonard, and Jones scampered home when the right fielders' throw got away from the cutoff man, making it 11-10. Then Joey Roach delivered an opposite field single to the tie the game at 11, and the go ahead run came home on a balk.
JSU reliever Jonathan Aponte (1-0) got the final two outs in the seventh and finished the game with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory.
"It was really good to see our offense come to life and get some confidence and some momentum," head coach Greg Frady said. "We had the big sixth and seventh where we scored nine runs, but we just didn't have enough at the end. We're dealing with injuries and adversity, and I'm glad to see them fight, but we're going to have to find a way to win these games at the end."
In addition to Clements, Roach, Hood, Few and Leonard each had two hits for the Panthers.
The two teams will play will complete their two-game series tomorrow at 2 p.m. in a rare Monday game. Georgia State's schedule was altered late last week when its scheduled opponent, Lafayette, was unable to travel for the weekend series due to a virus outbreak on campus.
