The Georgia baseball team put forth a valiant comeback effort, but fell short as the Florida Gators held on to a 7-6 win at Foley Field Saturday.

Georgia starter was nearly unhittable over the first three innings as he struck out seven of nine potential outs. He allowed a two-out solo home run to Gator designated hitter Teddy Foster in the second.

In the fourth, he surrendered another two-out home run, this time a two-run shot by eight-hole hitter Buddy Munroe, to stake the Gators to a 3-0 lead.

The Diamond Dogs quickly answered in the bottom of the frame with three two-out runs to tie the game at 3-3. Catcher Bryce Massanari hit a two-run home run to left and two batters later, left fielder Lyle Allen doubled to score Joey Lewis all the way from first.

Then in the fifth, the rains came – again. The game endured a 33-minute rain delay with two outs in the top of the fifth and a runner on first. When play resumes, McRee struggled with his command as he walked the first batter he faced, threw two wild pitches and committed an error that allowed the Gators to score twice and regain the lead.

Florida extended its lead to 7-3 in the sixth, and looked as if it was going to run away and hide. But Georgia stormed back, as Lewis hit a two-out, two-run home run to halve the Gators lead.

Georgia right fielder Peter Verdin ended the top of the seventh with a phenomenal diving catch in foul territory and gave his team a much needed spark.

Verdin led off the bottom of the inning and singled. Levi Hyams (hit by a pitch) and Michael Demperio (Bunt single) each reached base to load the bases for the top of the order with no outs. The Dogs could only muster one run however (on a Colby May sacrifice fly) as Matt Cerione struck out and Rich Poythress popped out to second.

Whenever Georgia and Florida meet in any sport, expect the unexpected, and Friday’s baseball game between the two gave that saying a whole new meaning.

It was a game that included everything but a final result, as the teams went into a rain delay in the bottom of the ninth with the game tied and the winning run on first base for Georgia.

The game had been temporally suspended and will be completed 30 minutes after the completion of Saturday’s regularly scheduled game beginning at 1 p.m.

Georgia starter Trevor Holder got himself into big trouble in the opening frame as the first three Gators reached base to load the bases with no outs. But Holder pulled an escape act that Houdini would envy as he induced cleanup hitter Josh Adams to pop to second, then got Matt den Dekker to ground into a fielder’s choice before striking out Brandon McArthur to emerge unscathed.

In the bottom of the inning, Georgia also loaded the bases with no outs, but unlike Florida, it capitalized on its splendid scoring opportunity.

Designated hitter Bryce Massanari unloaded on the first pitch he saw from Gator hurler Stephen Locke for a mammoth grand slam the left field to give the Diamond Dogs a 4-0 lead. They added another runs on a gutsy two-out bunt from second baseman Miles Starr and a Matt Cerione single to center, to give the Dogs a commanding 6-0 edge after one.

The following inning, Locke, much to the displeasure of the Georgia faithful, hit Massanari in the back to bring up catcher Joey Lewis. Like Masanari, Lewis hammered Locke’s first pitch to the parking lot in left field and built Georgia’s lead to a seemingly insurmountable 8-0.

The game was far from over, however, as slowly but surely the Gators chipped away at the Georgia lead. They added one run in the third, three in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to trim the lead to 8-7.

Holder surrendered six runs on four home runs to four different Florida batters, the most he has allowed in a single start this season.

Georgia extended its lead to 9-7 in the seventh on a single to left field by Levi Hyams that scored Lewis who had doubled.

Florida quickly answered in the following inning as it tied the game against closer Dean Weaver, who blew his second straight save.