BOONE, N.C. — A season-high 17 hits was not enough for Appalachian State University baseball on Saturday as it fell to first-place Georgia State University, 15-13, at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.

With the loss, 11 of Appalachian State's 16 Sun Belt losses have come by two runs or less. The Mountaineers (11-28, 4-16 Sun Belt) got off to a hot start, plating five runs in bottom of the first inning to take a 5-3 lead. 

Noah Holmes hit a double into center field with the bases loaded, driving in all three runs, but was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play. A Drake Zupcic single followed by a double by Carson Jones and triple by Brian Bauk brought two more runs across home plate. 

The Mountaineers would tack on two more runs in the second when Dillon Dobson's double down the right field line drove Brandon Burris home. Dosbon would trot across home plate on Michael Pierson's single through the left side to give App State a 7-3 advantage. 

The Panthers (24-15, 13-3 Sun Belt) would start their rally in the fifth inning, plating three runs of four hits which cut it to a 7-6 Appalachian lead.

The Apps would answer with a four-run inning of their own behind an RBI double from Dobson, an RBI single from Pierson, and a wild pitch that brought Matt Brill home. Pierson drove in Dobson again the bottom seventh, extending the Appalachian lead, 12-6.

Dobson and Pierson combined for much of the Appalachian offense going a combined 6-for-8 with five RBI and six runs.

The league-leading Panthers exploded for sixth runs in the top of the eighth to tie the ballgame at 12, hitting two RBI doubles, an RBI single, and an RBI triple.

The Mountaineers took the lead back in the bottom of the eighth when pinch hitter Avery Jackson doubled down the left field line to bring Jones home from second base.

Ryan Ross took the mound in the top of the ninth with a one-run lead. Ross would give up a double with one out followed by a single to GSU's Trae Sweeting that brought the tying run home. Dallas DeVrieze took over for Ross, but DeVrieze's first batter, Matt Rose, hit the second pitch he saw over the left field wall, driving in what would become the winning run.

The Mountaineers were unable to complete a ninth inning rally when Grayson Atwood struck out for the final out with two men left on base.

Appalachian will compete the weekend series versus Georgia State tomorrow at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.