ATHENS, Ga. - The No. 12-ranked Georgia softball squad used three home runs to pick up a 5-1 victory over visiting Georgia Southern on Wednesday evening at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens.

The Bulldogs (26-9) halted a five-game losing streak with the win, while Georgia Southern falls to 16-15 with the loss. The Eagles will take on a second consecutive nationally-ranked opponent on Friday, hosting Sun Belt Conference foe and No. 10-ranked Louisiana in a 6 pm contest at Eagle Field.

Georgia started quickly in the bottom of first inning as a three-run home run from Lacey Fincher and a solo home run from Justice Milz staked the home team to a 4-0 lead.

The Eagles plated a run in the fourth thanks to Allyssah Mullis' two-out RBI single down the left field line that scored Shelby Wilson from second. Georgia Southern had the bases loaded in the fifth but Georgia reliever Mary Wilson Avant escaped the jam with a foul out.

Georgia capped its scoring with a solo home run in the fifth coming from Clara Bryan.

"I think it was just a little bit of nerves," Georgia Southern Head Coach Kim Dean said about the game against the No. 12-ranked Bulldogs. "I think excitement ways gets to you. Georgia's got some great hitters that just took advantage of a pitch left over the plate. All in all, I think we played well. The score didn't reflect that, we had a couple of innings with runners in scoring position where just another hit, or just something to manufacture a couple of more runs and that game looks totally different."

Avant (7-3) notched the win for the Bulldogs with six innings of four-hit, one-run relief, walking two and striking out six. Rylee Waldrep (4-8) took the loss for the Eagles, giving up four hits and four runs in two innings of work, walking three.

Mekhia Freeman had two hits to lead the Eagles offensively, while Milz and CJ Landrum had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs.

"I think it was really awesome to play Georgia today to prepare us for the series with Louisiana," Dean said. "It let us see that if you do the right things, the small things often, you really are in any game. We were in this game the whole time tonight. But we'll put in a good day of practice tomorrow, go over some of the things we have to execute better and we'll be ready for this weekend at home!"