ATHENS, Ga. --- Trevor Holder pitched a career-high 8.2 innings as seventh-ranked Georgia defeated 15th-ranked NC State, 11-2, in game one of the NCAA Athens Super Regional Friday before a crowd of 3,517 at Foley Field.

The Bulldogs (40-22-1) picked up their 40th win of the year while N.C. State dropped to 4-121. Georgia and NC State will meet in the second game of the best two-out-of-three series Saturday at noon ET (ESPN2).

NC State (41-21) grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the third, but Georgia answered with four runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning and a five-run outburst in the sixth put the game away as the Bulldogs cruised to their fifth straight win behind Holder.

"I thought that the third inning was key," Georgia head coach David Perno said. "We gave up a couple of runs in the top half, but we did a great job of responding and changing the momentum. I thought (Matt) Olson's at-bat was huge and then Gordon's really changed the momentum for us. Trevor (Holder) pitched terrific for us all day and especially with the lead. It was big for us to get this win."

Rich Poythress, Matt Cerione and Lyle Allen had two hits apiece to lead the Bulldogs. Gordon Beckham, Joey Lewis and Miles Starr all drove in two runs. Holder allowed just seven hits and struck out five to improve to 8-4. Meanwhile, Clayton Schunick (7-6) took the loss for the NC State.

After a pair of solo home runs by Drew Martin and Ryan Pond gave the Wolfpack a 2-0 lead in the second, Georgia responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Robbie O'Bryan led off with a walk, and a single by Lyle Allen put runners on the corners with no outs. After Shunick struck out David Thoms and Ryan Peisel, a two-out single through the left side by Matt Olson scored O'Bryan. Beckham then roped a double to left field, scoring Allen and Olson to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Beckham scored Georgia's fourth run on a single by Poythress.

The Bulldogs pulled away with five runs in the sixth. Poythress walked to start the inning, then scored on a single by Bryce Massanari and a miscue by NC State right fielder Matt Payne. Doubles by Matt Cerione and Lyle Allen scored two more runs and knocked Schunick out of the game. Lewis capped the inning with a pinch-hit two-run home run Wolpack reliever Drew Taylor.

Georgia added two more runs in the eighth on a double by Miles Starr.

Holder surrendered two unearned runs in the ninth and Georgia reliever Justin Earls came in to record the final out.

"You have to tip your cap to them, they obviously played well," said N.C. State head coach Elliot Avent. "Ironically, I thought that we played real well. We gave up two big innings, which is unusual for our team. (Matt) Olson's hit was real big for them and then obviously they got a few more after that. "