ATHENS, Ga. (Interstat) — In a wild midweek clash that defied pregame projections, the Kennesaw State Owls built a massive early lead and then withstood a furious late rally by the Georgia Bulldogs to secure a 10-7 victory Tuesday evening at Foley Field.

The win, played before an announced crowd of 3,412, avenged a lopsided 11-1 loss to the Bulldogs just three weeks prior and improved Kennesaw State to 11-10 on the season. Georgia, a national powerhouse, fell to 20-6.

The most critical sequence of the game came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kennesaw State, having methodically built a 10-0 lead behind steady offense and strong early pitching from Nolan Sliver and Ty Bayer, suddenly found itself in a desperate situation. Georgia’s offense, stifled for six innings, erupted.

Pinch-hitter Dylan Calloway ignited the rally with a solo home run to left field off Bayer to get Georgia on the board. After a double by Slate Ishikawa, All-SEC shortstop Kolby Branch launched a two-run homer, cutting the deficit to 10-3. The Bulldogs continued to press, loading the bases against reliever Logan Brock, who failed to record an out.

Pinch-hitter Jack Arcamone delivered a clutch single to drive in another run, making it 10-4. With the bases still loaded and the tying run on deck, Kennesaw State turned to reliever Cain, who finally stopped the bleeding by striking out pinch-hitter Johnson Col to end the threat. The seven-run cushion had been nearly erased, but the Owls escaped the inning still leading by six.

Georgia was not finished. In the eighth, they mounted another serious challenge, plating three more runs, all with two outs. Arcamone again was central, driving in two with a single to center, pulling the Bulldogs within 10-7. The comeback attempt ultimately fell short as Georgia left the bases loaded in the eighth and went down in order in the ninth against Bulldogs closer Paul Farley, who struck out two in a perfect final frame.

The Owls’ offense was relentless from the start, tallying 10 hits and capitalizing on three Georgia errors to score three unearned runs. Kennesaw State scored in four separate innings, with a three-run fourth and a four-run seventh proving decisive. Aaron Posey hit a solo home run in the sixth, and McGee contributed a two-run double in the seventh.

On the mound, the combination of Sliver and Bayer was effective for six innings before the seventh-inning stumble. Sliver started and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit. Bayer followed with 4 2/3 innings of work, but was charged with four earned runs after surrendering the two seventh-inning homers. The Kennesaw State bullpen, despite allowing the rally, managed to secure the final seven outs.

For Georgia, the loss spoiled a heroic effort from its bench. Arcamone finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs in his pinch-hit role, and Calloway’s pinch-hit homer sparked the rally. Branch’s two-run shot was his team-leading eighth of the season. The Bulldogs used eight pitchers in the contest, with starter Thomas Ellisen taking the loss after allowing two earned runs over three innings.

The result flipped the script from the preseason analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 7-5 Georgia victory, and its ELO rating system gave the Bulldogs a 78.3% probability to win.

Kennesaw State looks to carry the momentum into a weekend series at Delaware beginning Friday. Georgia, meanwhile, opens a pivotal Southeastern Conference series at home against South Carolina on Friday.