ATHENS, Ga. --- Top-ranked Georgia scored four runs in the third and held off No. 22 Clemson, 6-5, Tuesday at Foley Field.

Georgia improved to 23-3 and won for the ninth time in 10 games while Clemson dropped to 18-8.

Bryce Massanari and Colby May hit home runs and finished with two hits apiece for Georgia. Rich Poythress, the reigning National Hitter of the Week, went 2-for-4 with his league-leading 48th RBI.

Jason Leaver (3-0) pitched three innings and allowed one run on four hits to earn the win. Justin Earls and Michael Palazzone combined to throw three shutout innings, and Dean Weaver worked the ninth to earn his third save in as many games and fifth overall.

Clemson trailed 6-4 entering the ninth, and scored to get within a run and had the tying run on first but Weaver struck out Brad Miller to end the game.

“We were good enough to win tonight,” Georgia coach David Perno said. “They had better pitching; he was a weekend starter for them, but I was proud of our guys. We need more out of the offense in the future. I didn’t see the fire.”

Jeff Schaus put Clemson ahead 1-0 with a two-out home run in the top of the first before Massanari homered for the sixth time this year and the fourth time in six games in the second inning to knot the score at 1-1.

Clemson’s first two batters reached to start the third and with two outs, Zach Cone made a leaping catch over the wall in right center to rob Miller of a three-run homer.

Georgia sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs in the third. After a one-out walk to Michael Demperio, the Dogs reeled off five straight singles by Johnathan Taylor, Peter Verdin, Poythress, Massanari and Joey Lewis to take a 5-1 lead.

The Tigers hit another two-out home run, this time a two-run shot by Kyle Parker in the fifth to pull within 5-3. A single then a pinch-hit double by Chris Epps made it 5-4.

Colby May blasted a solo home run in the sixth, his eighth of the season, to give Georgia a two-run lead again. Clemson cut the deficit to 6-5 with a two-out RBI single by Kyle Parker, but Miller struck out for the final out.

Chris Dwyer (2-2) allowed five runs on eight hits in three innings to take the loss.

The Bulldogs and Tigers will play again Wednesday at Clemson at 7 p.m. on CSS.