HOOVER, Ala. | Austin Hyatt retired 20 consecutive Georgia batters during a complete-game four-hitter to lead Alabama to a 5-2 victory over the Bulldogs on Thursday in the second round of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.
Hyatt (4-4) gave up an RBI double to Bryce Massanari in the first inning. He then retired the Bulldogs in order from the second inning through the seventh.
Georgia finally got another base runner when Jake Crane singled through the left side of the infield with one out in the eighth.
Alabama (33-25) advances to play either Kentucky or Ole Miss at approximately 6:30 p.m. CDT Friday. The top-seeded Bulldogs (35-21-1) were knocked out of the double-elimination tournament without winning a game for the first time since 2002.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Crimson Tide came right back with a run in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Matt Bentley that scored Josh Rutledge from third base.
Alabama then scored three runs in the third inning to take a 4-1 lead. Rutledge led off with a double to right field and Ross Wilson brought him home with a single up the middle. That was followed by an RBI single from Brandon May, who later came home on a throwing error by the Bulldogs.
Rutledge, May and Wilson each had two hits for the Tide.
Georgia starter Stephen Dodson (5-3) took the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs — three earned — in five innings.
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