Wes Johnson will never turn up his nose at a win. He’ll take victories like Wednesday’s 16-10 slugfest over Georgia State all day.

But with SEC play starting a week from Friday against Kentucky, there are a few areas of his team’s play that he wants to start seeing improve.

“I just want us to play clean baseball. We're doing it right now at times and in spurts of games for four or five innings, and then we won't play clean, and then we'll come back and play clean,” said Johnson, whose team gave up a nine-spot in the third before coming back for the victory.

“As you guys know, you get in our league play, you're not giving up a nice spot and winning a lot of baseball games. So, we got to clean that up, and we will, we'll continue to do it,” he said. “But at the same time, this is what happens at the end of six games and six days.”

Walks continue to be a problem Johnson would like to see get under control.

Georgia pitchers helped the Panthers with eight walks, leading to three of Georgia State’s runs. A trio of errors did not help matters, either.

Fortunately, Georgia’s bats were able to cover up Wednesday’s mistakes to give the team its 12-straight win.

The Bulldogs (15-1) launched five home runs against the Panthers (10-3), two by Robbie Burnett, helping Georgia overcome a 9-5 deficit after Georgia State scored nine in the third of Georgia’s bullpen.

“We’ve got a positive attitude about everything,” said shortstop Kolby Branch, who went 2-for-5 with his first home run. “We’re never out of a fight. We’ve come back too many times now. We just feel we’re going to win the ball game no matter what.”

Home runs by Burnett and Tre Phelps, followed by a two-run single in the second by Slate Alford, put Georgia out to a 5-0 lead. But the game would go haywire from there.

JT Quinn received the start for Georgia and went two innings as Johnson continues to stretch out the transfer from Ole Miss. Quinn – who threw 29 pitches – walked one, struck out one, and allowed one hit before being replaced by Wyatt Land to start the third.

Land – making just his second appearance - did not fare well.

Land would be charged with four runs in a third of an inning, followed by Paul Farley, who gave up three runs without recording an out. Justin Byrd was next, and he gave up a grand slam to nine-hole hitter Jae Williams, putting the Panthers ahead, 9-5.

But those would not be the final runs.

A two-run homer by Branch in the third and a three-run homer by Ryland Zaborowski in the fourth regained the lead for Georgia at 11-9.

After Georgia State’s nine-run third, the rest of Georgia’s bullpen settled down.

Davis Chastain and Eric Hammond followed with an inning apiece of scoreless relief. Collin Caldwell allowed a leadoff homer in the sixth before Alton Davis, Tyler McLoughlin, and Brian Curley closed out the game by not allowing a run. McLoughlin pulled a Houdini act to get out of the eighth, escaping a bases-loaded, nobody-out inning to keep the Panthers off the board in the game that took 3:59 to play

“We knew it was going to be a grind. I mean,” Johnson said. “I'd already told our coaches if we're out of here before 8 o'clock, I'm going to be fired up tonight. I just had that feeling when the first pitch was thrown.”

Chastain received credit for the win, his third of the year and third against the Panthers, his former team before transferring to Georgia over the summer.

“I don't really try to get caught up in things like that,” Chastain said. “I just look forward; tomorrow’s a new day.”

Boxscore

…Alford, Burnett, and Phelps have reached base in all 16 games.

…Phelps’ first-inning home game gave him a 10-game hitting streak.

…With two hit-by-pitches, Burnett has already been plunked 11 times in 16 games. Corey Collins set the school record last season with 28. Georgia hitters were hit a season-high six times Wednesday.

…Georgia resumes play Friday for the first of three games against visiting Columbia University.