CONWAY, S.C. -- Jack Thompson, Will Kilgore and Justin Jones hit solo home runs to back a strong pitching effort by Hunter Gaddis and five relievers as Georgia State knocked off No. 16 Coastal Carolina 3-2 in their Sun Belt Conference series opener Friday at Springs Brooks Stadium.

All five runs in the game were scored on solo home runs.

With the game tied at 2-2, Jones, the Panthers (19-8, 6-9 Sun Belt) senior shortstop, led off the eighth inning with his solo shot to left center, his fourth of the season, and the GSU bullpen finished the job for Gaddis.

Gaddis (7-2) pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts as the sophomore right-handed earned his league-leading seventh victory of the season.

"It was an extremely hard-fought game, and truly a team win," head coach Greg Frady said. "So many people contributed, whether it was defense, solo home runs or pitching. Hunter did an unbelievable job, and our bullpen really rose to the occasion. It was a great team win, and a monumental program win on the road at a really good place."

Thompson and Kilgore gave Georgia State the early lead as they led off the second inning with back-to-back home runs, both to left field. The two seniors homered for the second straight game as both also homered, although not consecutively, in Wednesday's win over Mercer.

But in the bottom of the frame, catcher Kyle Skeels cut the 2-0 in half with a solo homer for Coastal Carolina (26-14, 12-4 Sun Belt).

That score held up until the sixth inning, when Sun Belt home run leader Kevin Woodall led off with 14th of the season to tie the game at 2-2.

Coastal starter Zack Hopeck also pitched seven innings but did not figure in the decision. Jay Causey started the eighth inning and was greeted by Jones' go-ahead homer.

Now leading 3-2, Georgia State used five relievers to record the final six outs against a powerful Chanticleer lineup that features five left-handed bats spread throughout the order. Freshman Trey Horton started the eighth and struck out Woodall looking. Then left-hander Tyler Koch came on to face the left-handed hitting Zach Biermann, who singled. That brought on righty Bryan White, who got the righty Skeels to fly out. Lefty Brandon Baker ended the inning with a strikeout of right-handed pinch hitter Michael Koening.

Baker started the ninth with a strikeout of Kieton Rivers but walked Parker Chavous. That brought on Jansen Acton, but before he walked pinch hitter Turner Buis, catcher Nick Gatewood threw out Rivers attempting to steal for out No. 2. With Buis at first, Acton got leadoff hitter Cory Wood to ground out for the third out to save his second straight game and fifth of the season.

The series continues with a 2 p.m. game Saturday.