ATHENS, Ga. | The University of Alabama baseball team slugged its way into the upcoming Southeastern Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon — but couldn’t quite slug its way to a sweep of SEC champion Georgia.

The Crimson Tide pounded out 20 hits and built a big early lead, then held on for a 17-13 win over 2008 SEC champion Georgia in the first game of an SEC doubleheader on Friday. The second game was of a different stripe as the Bulldogs scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to take a 5-4 win.

The win in the first game assured Alabama (31-24, 15-14 SEC) of a berth in next week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover. The Crimson Tide’s exact seeding will be determined by results of today’s SEC play.

“In the first game, we just outslugged them,” said Crimson Tide head coach Jim Wells. “We really hit the ball well. The second game was more of a real baseball game. We had our chances to win.”

In the opener, Alabama scored six runs in the second inning thanks to a two-run home run by third baseman Jake Smith and a grand slam by Alex Avila. The Tide added four more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 10-1 lead, but Georgia, taking advantage of Alabama’s control problems and its own power hitting, gradually cut into the lead.

The Bulldogs pulled as close as 14-12 when designated hitter Bryce Massanari slugged his second home run of the game, a three-run shot off reliever Josh Copeland in the bottom of the eighth.

But the Crimson Tide (31-23 overall) used a sparkling double play started by second baseman Ross Wilson to get out of the inning, then picked up three critical insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning as sophomore Del Howell bashed a three-run home run to right field.

Georgia center fielder Matt Cerione started the bottom of the ninth inning with a solo home run off UA reliever Austin Graham, but Graham retired the next three hitters to notch his fourth save.

Miers Quigley, the Tide starter, allowed six runs in five innings but picked up the decision for his first SEC win since March of 2007. Quigley is now 5-4 on the season. Georgia starter Trevor Holder (7-4) took the loss.

Despite the 30 runs and 34 hits, the game was played in less than three hours (2:56).

“Our plan was to get up on them early, because obviously they have a great bullpen, especially at the back end,” Avila said.

That was apparent in the second game as Georgia’s All-America closer, Joshua Fields, shut down Alabama in the final two innings as the Bulldogs rallied for a 5-4 win.

Alabama had taken a 2-0 lead in the second game after Brandon May’s RBI double in the first inning and a solo home run by Avila to start the top of the fourth inning.

Georgia cut the lead to 2-1 on a solo home run by Rich Poythress in the bottom of the fourth, then took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning when Massanari hit a two-run home run.

Alabama regained the lead in the top of the seventh when Wilson hit a two-run home run, his 12th homer of the season. But Georgia’s Gordon Beckham, the SEC home run leader, answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh inning, tying the game at 4-4.

Kent Matthes hit a two-out double in the top of the eighth inning, but Fields came on to strike out Howell, ending the inning. The hard-throwing closer retired UA in order in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Tide reliever Will Stroup walked Georgia leadoff hitter Ryan Peisel to start the inning. Matt Olson followed with a single and when Tide centerfielder Alex Kubal could not field the ball cleanly, Peisel came in with the winning run.

Fields (2-1) was the winning pitcher for Georgia (35-18-1 overall, 20-8-1 SEC). The 20 SEC wins ties a Georgia school record.

Georgia’s Massanari had a career day in the doubleheader, going 7-for-7 with three home runs and a double in the two games. He also drove in eight runs in the doubleheader

Stroup (5-3) took the loss for Alabama.

The two teams will play the decisive game of the series today at 1 p.m. Robert Phares (2-3, 6.10 ERA) is scheduled to start for Alabama against Georgia’s Nathan Moreau (3-2, 4.94 ERA).

Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil.hurt@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0225.