AUBURN, Ala. (Interstat) — Jordy Oriach hit a three-run home run during a five-run first inning and the Georgia Bulldogs held off a furious Auburn Tigers rally to win 9-7 on Friday afternoon at Samford Stadium – Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park.

Georgia, which entered the game with a 42-11 record, improved to 43-11 and took the first two games of the Southeastern Conference series. Auburn fell to 35-18.

The Bulldogs seized control immediately. After a strikeout and a single, a walk loaded the bases. Ryan Wynn singled to right field to drive in two runs, then stole second. Oriach followed by launching a pitch over the right-center field wall, scoring Wynn and Ishikawa to give Georgia a 5-0 lead.

Auburn responded in the bottom of the first. After two groundouts, a hit batter and a double put two runners in scoring position. Ethin Bingaman singled through the middle, driving in both runners to cut the deficit to 5-2.

The game settled until the fifth inning. Georgia extended its lead when Kolby Branch smashed a three-run home run to right field, scoring Oriach and Ishikawa, who had walked and singled respectively. The homer made it 8-2 and chased Auburn starter Alvarez, replaced by LJ Cormier. Cormier worked 4 2/3 innings of relief, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out four.

Auburn answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth. A bunt single and a strikeout preceded a wild pitch that moved the runner to second. After a walk, Chris Rembert doubled to right center to score one run. Bingaman then singled to center field, and an error by the center fielder allowed two more runs to score and sent Bingaman to third. With one out, Bub Terrell walked, and a hit batter loaded the bases. Cade Belyeu singled to second base, scoring Bingaman. By the time the inning ended, Auburn had scored four runs to close within 8-6.

Georgia added a critical insurance run in the sixth. Trey Lujo homered to left field, giving the Bulldogs a 9-6 lead.

Auburn threatened again in the seventh when Terrell homered to left center, trimming the margin to 9-7. But Georgia relievers Paul Farley and Zach Brown shut the door. Farley worked 2 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run while striking out one. Brown pitched two perfect innings, striking out one and preserving the lead.

In the ninth, Auburn went down in order, with all three batters flying out to center field.

Oriach finished 2 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs. Wynn went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Branch was 1 for 3 with a homer and three RBIs. Lujo added a solo shot.

For Auburn, Bingaman drove in four runs on two hits. Rembert had two hits and an RBI. Terrell homered and drove in one.

Georgia starter Dylan Vigue lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on no hits? Actually, the play-by-play shows he gave up several hits. Vigue’s stat line was 4.2 innings, no hits? That seems inconsistent with the play-by-play where Auburn got hits in the first and fifth. But based on the provided statline: Vigue 4.2ip 0h 6er 6k. That means he allowed no hits but 6 earned runs? That is impossible unless all runs came via walks and errors. The play-by-play shows hits by Bingaman and Rembert. Likely a data error in the statline. For the recap, we will not use that statline; instead we describe the pitching changes.

The game was a rematch of Thursday’s contest, which Georgia won 2-1. The two teams meet again Saturday for the series finale.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Georgia 8, Auburn 6. Interstat’s ELO system gave Georgia a 52.30 percent probability to win. Auburn had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5.