Rich Poythress came a few feet short of hitting a home run to deep center field in the first inning and settled for a double.

But in his next three official at bats (he walked in the seventh), he beat, battered and bruised the Kennesaw State pitching staff to the tune of three home runs and four RBIs during Georgia’s 11-7 win Tuesday at Foley Field.

Poythress became the first Diamond Dog to homer three times in a game since Jeff Keppinger in a 2001 regional game against Coastal Carolina. Coincidentally, Tuesday was also Keppinger’s birthday.

“That was a much bigger game, but we needed it tonight and we’ll take it,” head coach David Perno said. “Most importantly, it started to free everyone else up, except Joey Lewis. He’s the final piece and we need to get him going.”

Poythress wasn’t the only Diamond Dog in the home run trot show as freshmen Colby May, Peter Verdin, Levi Hyams and junior Matt Cerione also joined the party.

“We were fighting it a bit this weekend and when our main guys aren’t doing it can be demoralizing,” Perno said. “Fortunately, we got a few of the guys going and we played great defense, and when we play defense like we did today and turn double plays when we have the opportunity, we are pretty good.”

But while Poythress and the rest of the Diamond Dogs were swinging the sticks, another, and younger, Poythress was picking them up.

Rich’s 9-year-old brother Jared served as the Georgia bat boy for the first time this season, and it might start to become a regular occurrence.

“I think we should stuff him in a suitcase and take him to [Oxford, Miss.] with us,” Poythress joked. “We’ll have to see what coach says about that.”

It is something that Perno seemed more than OK with.

“[Jared] was a joy to be around in the dugout and the kids really like him, and I’m sure he’s going to get the opportunity to do that again,” Perno said. “I hope his parents are coming and that he’ll be with them.”

Despite the home run derby, the game was not a blowout by any stretch as the Diamond Dogs (32-8) still found themselves holding a precarious 6-4 lead over the pesky Owls (21-15) heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Georgia extended its lead to 8-4 as it loaded the bases and scored twice despite not getting a single base hit. After KSU pitchers Brad Long and Kenny Faulk teamed up to walk the bases loaded, Faulk made a throwing error on a Lyle Allen dribbler, scoring two.

Those runs proved to be vital, as the Dogs allowed three runs in the following inning, two on a home run surrendered by closer Dean Weaver, and brought the Owls to within one run at 8-7.

“The biggest out of the game was from Earl Daniels [in the seventh],” Perno said. “He’s only pitched twice this year and he came in to face their four-hole hitter and attacked him.”

Georgia quickly rebounded in the bottom of the inning, when Hyams and Cerione hit back-to-back home runs on three pitches. Poythress completed his trifecta two batters later to make the score 11-7.