STARKVILLE, Miss. – Down 2-1 and down to its last out in the top of the seventh, #7 Georgia softball (28-2, 6-1) knocked two home runs to come back and defeat #21 Mississippi State (26-5, 2-2) Friday evening, 4-2.

Alyssa DiCarlo’s home run in the seventh tied the game followed by a two-run Mahlena O’Neal home run to put Georgia ahead late in Friday’s series opener. Georgia outhit MSU 7-5 Friday. Cortni Emanuel and Alysen Febrey each had two hits on the evening.

Brittany Gray stayed perfect in the circle, improving to 14-0. She pitched seven innings in her ninth complete-game victory. She allowed both runs on five hits. She struck out seven during her outing.

Georgia plated the first run of the game in the top of the third. Emanuel slapped a leadoff triple to the wall in right-center to lead off the inning. Justice Milz, the next batter, grounded to second. The throw came home on the play but was late as Emanuel was safe, putting Georgia ahead, 1-0.

Mississippi State took the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. With two down, Emily Heimberger drew a walk. Carmen Carter doubled to right center. On the play, Ciara Bryan kicked the ball away, allowing Heimberger to score and knot the game at one run apiece. Calyn Adams doubled in Carter to put MSU ahead in the bottom of the sixth, 2-1.

With Georgia down to its last out in the top of the seventh, DiCarlo sent a towering home run to right, her 13th of the season, to extend the contest, tied 2-2. Febrey reached on a single to center following the home run. O’Neal stepped in and unloaded a two-run home run to put Georgia back on top 4-2. The home run was O’Neal’s sixth of the season.

Gray worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.

Game two of the series is set for Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., EDT, from Starkville.