AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn took an early one-run lead against Georgia, but the Bulldogs battled back to take the lead during the middle innings and held on for a 3-2 win despite a late rally by the Tigers.
The loss gives Georgia (28-9, 3-5) the series win and marks the first time the Bulldogs have taken a series against Auburn (29-7, 5-3) since the 2014 season. It's the first time Georgia has won a Southeastern Conference series against the Tigers at Jane B. Moore Field since 2013.
"We got beat on two pitches tonight, over and over and over, and didn't make any adjustments," Auburn head coach Mickey Dean said. "You have to make adjustments and we've been doing a pretty good job of that. Tonight, we were stubborn."
Auburn took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Alyssa Rivera scored on a two-out fielding error off the bat of Justus Perry.
Tiger starting pitcher Lexie Handley (5-1) kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard until Alyssa DiCarlo plated Savana Sikes on a one-out groundout in the top of the fifth inning. CJ Landrum scored on a wild pitch during the next at bat to extend the Bulldogs' lead. Ciara Bryan made it 3-1, Georgia, when she hit her second home run in as many days with one out in the sixth inning.
It took until the bottom of the seventh for Auburn to break through in the hit column as Brittany Maresette, who entered as a pinch hitter, hit an inside-the-park home run with two outs in the inning.
"I thought, when I got to third base, that was going to be it," Maresette said. "But when I got there, Coach kept waving me, so I kept running."
Tannon Snow (walk; second inning) Rivera (fielder's choice; second inning) and Perry (fielding error; second inning and walk; fifth inning) were the Tigers' lone base runners during the game up until Maresette's hit.
Auburn and Georgia will wrap up its three-game series on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game can be seen on SEC Network + and WatchESPN app, while also broadcasted on the Auburn Sports Network.