Georgia score five runs in the first and responded to several rallies by USC with more runs in taking a 13-9 victory at Founders Park. The 14th ranked Bulldogs won the SEC series two games to one as the Gamecocks suffered their second straight league series loss.
The Bulldogs jumped on Gamecock starter Aidan Hunter for five runs and five hits, including a three-run homer, in the first. They grew their lead to 8-0 with a three-run fourth. USC cut the lead in half with a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth.
Georgia answered those four runs with four more of their own in the top of the sixth for a 12-4 lead. But the Gamecocks scored four in the bottom of the inning, three on a homer by Brandt Belk who extended his hitting streak to 20 games. That made it a 12-8 game.
The Bulldogs added a run in the seventh and kept the Gamecocks off the board again until a solo homer by Andrew Eyster in the bottom of the ninth accounted for the final scoring.
Hunter (5-3) took the loss after yielding seven hits and five runs over three innings. Six other Gamecock hurlers followed him to the mound. The Gamecocks produced 11 hits with Belk and Eyster each with three.
The Gamecocks are 15-16 and 4-8 in the SEC. They will host North Florida Tuesday night.
