Four runs in the first three innings were just enough for Georgia baseball to even its series with Texas A&M.

Jack Gowen delivered a clutch full count strikeout with runners on first and second to seal the thrilling win.

“You have to get that last out because there’s no clock like in basketball or football,” UGA coach Scott Stricklin said. “Luke (Wagner) gave us a good start and then Chandler (Marsh), Jaden (Woods) and Jack (Gowen) all came in and did the job. It’s great to have Jaden and Jack at the end.”

The No. 13-ranked Bulldogs (26-9, 9-5 SEC) were much less effective offensively in the last six frames, but the pitchers kept the Aggies (21-13, 7-7) quiet Friday night at Foley Field. The pitching staff gave up just seven hits and four walks for two earned runs with 12 strikeouts.

The teams will face off in a rubber game at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Athens. UGA is 1-1 in series-deciding Game Threes this season.

The Georgia bats rebounded from one of their lowliest games of the season in Thursday’s loss. The Bulldogs, who had just seven hits and no walks for no earned runs in Game One, had nine hits by the end of the third inning on Friday.

They finished with 12 hits and two walks for their four earned runs.

Connor Tate led the Bulldogs at the plate, hitting 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Tate’s RBI single to center field drove home Corey Collins for the first of three runs in the third inning.

UGA’s pitchers, who surrendered 10 hits and 10 walks Thursday night, stranded 10 Aggies on base in Game Two.

Luke Wagner rebounded from a rocky start last Saturday against South Carolina and earned his sixth win of the season. The lefthander dealt five strikeouts, allowing five hits and two walks for an earned run in four innings.

Jaden Woods, who gave up an earned run in 3 innings of work on Tuesday, pitched 2.2 hitless innings with a walk and five strikeouts.

Jack Gowen rung up five-hole Troy Claunch on a high heater to earn his sixth save of 2022.

The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning. Ben Anderson hit a sacrifice fly to center field with one out, scoring Parks Harber for the early 1-0 lead.

UGA grabbed its last three runs thanks to Tate’s RBI single, a Harber groundout to score Tate, and a Fernando Gonzalez single that plated Cole Wagner.

Georgia will have No. 2 starter Liam Sullivan back on the mound for Saturday’s finale. The righthander missed three weeks before making his first start in SEC play last Sunday. Sullivan threw three hitless innings before he was pulled during a bumpy fourth inning.

Sullivan, held to a pitch count between 50 and 60 pitches last weekend, will have more pitches to work with on Saturday.

“We expect him to be between 70 and 80,” Stricklin said Wednesday. “Hopefully, that gets us five innings.

“That’s what we need, we need out starters to get us a little more length.”