Georgia and Mississippi State opened their best‑of‑three Athens Super Regional on Friday night with a back‑and‑forth contest that would go down to the final innings.
Early Lead for the Bulldogs
Mississippi State struck first in the second inning when Reed Stallman launched a three‑run home run, putting the Bulldogs ahead early.
The Bulldogs' lead was short‑lived. Georgia answered in the fourth with a leadoff home run by Daniel Jackson, sparking a nine‑run surge that flipped the momentum.
Michael O’Shaughnessy kept the pressure on, tying the game at 7‑7 with a two‑run homer in the fifth, while Kolby Branch’s two‑run double soon after gave Georgia a 9‑7 advantage.
Kevin Milewski trimmed the deficit with a leadoff homer in the sixth, and Gehrig Frei followed with a solo shot to knot the score at 9‑9.
Rylan Lujo then delivered his second home run of the night, pushing Georgia ahead 10‑9, but Ryder Woodson answered with a solo blast to force a 10‑10 tie.
Ace Reese’s eighth‑inning homer gave Mississippi State an 11‑10 lead, and a loaded‑bases hit‑by‑pitch added a run to make it 12‑10.
In the bottom of the ninth, Michael O’Shaughnessy delivered a three‑run homer that restored the lead for Georgia, sealing a 13‑12 victory.
The series will resume Sunday at 11 a.m. on ESPN, with Mississippi State needing a win to stay alive.