ATHENS -- Georgia baseball missed the strike zone too much to earn a series win over Kentucky on Saturday at Foley Field.

Wild pitching killed the No. 4-ranked Bulldogs (20-2, 1-1 SEC) in a 10-7 loss. UGA dug a 9-2 hole after 10 free passes in the first four innings.

Seven of the Wildcats’ (14-3, 1-1) first nine runs reached base on a walk or hit-by-pitch.

“We’ll find the right guys who want to get in there and get in the fire and throw strikes and do it and execute pitches,” UGA coach Wes Johnson said.

Georgia will look for a better start on Sunday with its only healthy traditional starter, Leighton Finley, on the mound for the series finale. Finley is the only Bulldog to go five innings in a start this season, and he has only done it once.

Georgia won game one on Friday by a 12-6 count and will fight for an SEC-opening series win at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Georgia’s pitching was more aggressive once Kentucky had a couple runners on, but then the Wildcats’ ‘small ball’ attack took over. Seven Big Blue batters entered Saturday hitting .280 or better, and several boosted their averages with RBI hits.

Kentucky was 7 for 20 with runners in scoring position while UGA hit 3 for 8.

“I think what happens is guys go out there and try to get every count to 0-2 before they throw the first pitch, and when you do that, you fall behind,” Johnson said.

Georgia pitchers allowed seven total walks and hit four batters in the loss. They allowed the exact same amount in Friday’s win.

It’s one downside to Georgia’s pitching by depth plan. More relievers are asked to pitch well against an SEC lineup with no traditional starter eating innings on the front end.

Charlie Goldstein and Matthew Hoskins both struggled as openers this weekend. The Bulldogs had to quickly pivot to relievers in both games.

In the game one win, the Bulldogs stabilized things quickly enough to erase a 6-2 deficit and complete a comeback.

Georgia’s first two Saturday relievers, Jordan Stephens and Alton Davis II, struggled as much as Hoskins did. The Bulldogs gave up nine runs before Zach Brown provided the kind of relief Georgia wanted immediately after pulling Hoskins.

Georgia’s offense was also better on Friday, scoring 12 runs on 10 hits compared to seven runs on 10 hits in Saturday’s loss.

Georgia had its chances to claw back into the game once Brown entered.

Brown held Kentucky scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Georgia hit a pair of solo homers to cut the lead to 9-4 in the fifth before loading the bases with two outs.

Johnson opted to pinch hit left-hander Brennan Hudson in the spot. The Georgia State transfer struck out looking in his fourth at-bat of the season, ending the inning.

Johnson’s second pinch hit decision worked out better in the seventh inning. Christian Adams cut Kentucky’s lead to 9-5 with an RBI single.

An incredible double play from Kentucky put Hudson back at the plate with a runner on second and two outs. He struck out again in the seventh, stopping any further damage to the Wildcat lead.

Adams gave Georgia one last chance with a one-out double in the bottom of the ninth before Nolan McCarthy and Kolby Branch struck out to seal the loss.

Johnson did add that Ryan Black and Kolten Smith, who exited with injuries on Friday, should be available for Sunday’s finale. Johnson said all of Friday’s relievers are in play, as well.

“It’s all hands on deck tomorrow,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to win the series in the league.”

This seasoned Bulldog team is confident it can fight back, much like it has many times this season.

“As soon as we show negative body language, it’s just going to fall down from there,” Zaborowski said. “We’re just not going to do that here. Win or lose, we’re still going to fight as much as we can.”