Eighth-ranked Georgia softball dropped a 7-3 decision Saturday to the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Softball Stadium.

Georgia (25-5, 1-1) scattered four hits on the afternoon, led by Lacey Fincher. The freshman picked up a double and a home run off the Tigers (12-11, 1-4). Mahlena O’Neal drove in two of Georgia’s three runs with a home run of her own.

Kylie Bass pitched one and two-third innings in her start, surrendering three runs. Alley Cutting (7-2) relieved Bass in the second innings, working two complete, allowing two runs on three hits while suffering the loss. Lauren Mathis was the second Bulldog out of the pen, pitching an inning and a third. Amanda Ablan worked a scoreless inning in the sixth for Georgia. Four of Missouri’s seven runs were unearned Saturday.

A sacrifice fly off the bat of Jazmyn Rollin plated a run for the Tigers in the bottom half of the first inning, 1-0 Missouri.

With Ciara Bryan on second via a one-out double in the top of the second, O’Neal put the Bulldogs ahead with a home run to right center, 2-1.

Missouri answered in the home half of the inning with two runs of its own. RBI doubles by Callie Martin and Brooke Wilmes gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead after two innings.

Fincher re-tied the game in the top of the third with a two-out solo shot to center, her sixth home run of the season, 3-3.

The back-and-fourth battle continued as Missouri plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Wilmes’ third double extended the Tigers’ lead to 5-3 in the frame. Kim Wert knocked a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to widen Missouri lead to four, 7-3.

The Bulldogs and Tigers will square off in the rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m., ET, in Columbia.