ATLANTA -- Rob Evans and Brady Jones combined for a strong pitching performance to lead Georgia State to a 7-2 win over James Madison Friday at the GSU Baseball Complex, evening the Sun Belt Conference series at one game apiece. The series finale is Saturday at noon.

Colin Hynek hit a 2-run home run and Dylan Strickland and Matt Ruiz drove in two runs each for the Panthers (14-12, 6-2 Sun Belt), who sit in second place in the conference standings. JMU fell to 16-11, 3-5 in the Sun Belt.

Evans, the sophomore lefthander, pitched six innings and allowed two runs (one earned)on four hits with four strikeouts to improve to 3-1 on the season. Jones, the sophomore righty, finished the game with three scoreless innings to pick up his second save. He allowed just one hit and struck out three.

After allowing one run in the top of the first, Georgia State jumped in front with three runs in the bottom half. Maximus Martin and Will Mize opened with back-to-back singles, and then Ruiz doubled down the left field line to score both runners. With two outs, Strickland singled to right field to bring home Ruiz and give GSU a 3-1 lead it would not relinquish.

With the Panthers holding a 3-2 lead, Ruiz and Michael Maginnis drew walks to lead off the fifth inning, and then Jesse Donohoe drove in Ruiz with a single up the middle. After Brennan Hudson drove a fly ball to the wall in left field for the first out, Strickland delivered his second opposite-field single to put GSU up 5-2.

Hynek add two insurance runs in the eighth with a towering 2-run homer to left, his second of the season.