Georgia baseball tallied eight unanswered runs in an explosive 10-7 comeback win over Kennesaw State and grabbed a momentum boost before a crucial SEC East series this weekend.

The No. 22-ranked Bulldogs (30-14, 12-9) bounced back from a heartbreaking series loss at LSU on Sunday to beat the Owls (26-18, 14-7 ASUN) on Tuesday night at Foley Field. Down 7-2 in the top of the third, Georgia barked back with seven runs between the third, fifth, and sixth innings and never looked back.

UGA’s offense will look to replicate its performance this weekend against perennial powerhouse Vanderbilt. Game One starts at 6:30 p.m. on Friday in Athens.

“When you have a big series like we do coming up, you want momentum,” UGA coach Scott Stricklin said. “Anytime you lose, it takes the wind out of you, especially against an in state rival – a very good team in Kennesaw State. It was important to get the win tonight, to try and keep some momentum going into this weekend.”

Georgia holds the No. 2 spot in the SEC East and is two games ahead of the No. 3 Commodores in the division. A series win would go a long way with the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Committee as the Bulldogs aim to host an NCAA Regional in the Classic City.

A series loss, on the other hand, would certainly fog Georgia’s chances of hosting a Regional, especially if it could not win next weekend at No. 1-ranked Tennessee.

The Bulldogs swept their season series against the Owls with the win. They won a 17-15 slugfest at Kennesaw State on April 13.

Garrett Blaylock’s three-RBI double in the fifth inning flipped the momentum to the Georgia dugout. With the bases loaded and two outs, Blaylock slapped a 3-2 pitch down the left-field line to cut Kennesaw State’s lead to 7-6.

UGA scored three more runs in the sixth. Parks Harber lined a knee-high curveball into left field to plate Ben Anderson and tie the game at 7-7. Cole Wagner delivered a sacrifice fly and Blaylock walked with the bases loaded to take a 9-7 advantage.

Slugger Corey Collins hit his first home run since the last time he faced Kennesaw State, a solo blast to right field in the eighth inning.

Jaden Woods, who surrendered the series-losing walk-off home run against LSU on Sunday, epitomized his team’s short memory Tuesday night. Woods opened for the Bulldogs and retired the first three batters he saw before handing duties over to Coleman Willis.

Willis, Luke Wagner, and Colin Caldwell did not follow Woods’ example, allowing a combined seven hits and three walks for seven earned runs.

Georgia had four wild pitches in the first three innings. It leads the SEC with 57 wild pitches on the year.

That was when Will Pearson got UGA back on track in the third inning. The Watkinsville product, who entered the game with loaded bases and one out, induced two flyouts to prevent any further damage.

Kennesaw State never scored again.

“Starting with Will Pearson, he kind of turned the momentum a little bit,” Stricklin said on 960 the Ref. “We were struggling on the mound after Jaden there for a couple of innings and Will Pearson kind of settled it down a little bit and then Max DeJong did a really nice job.”

DeJong pitched the next two innings and earned his first career win.

Senior closer Jack Gowen, still recovering from a 40-pitch outing on Saturday, shut the door on the Owls. The veteran righthander notched his tenth save on the season, tying Dean Weaver for the ninth-most in school history.

“Jack Gowen is on fumes right there,” Stricklin said on 960 the Ref. “I mean, he was so wiped from Saturday. He said, ‘Coach, I’m good, I’m good, I’m good and I’m glad he got through it, but he didn’t have his ace stuff and that just shows you how tough he is right there.”