FAYETTEVILLE — Georgia doesn’t have to worry about a Sunday starter.

Nathan Moreau can handle that job.

The left-hander from Lilburn, Ga., ran his career record to 15-3 after stopping Arkansas 13-2 Sunday to clinch the SEC series at Baum Stadium. Moreau threw 84 pitches in 6 innings, tying his career high with 8 strikeouts and allowing only 3 hits and 1 run.

It was a nice change for Moreau, who has been the victim of a string of no-decisions this season. Sunday’s victory ran his record to just 1-0, even though he’s been solid all season with a 2. 04 ERA.

ADVERTISEMENT

“He basically has given us a lead in four straight weekends into the seventh inning with him on the mound,” Georgia Coach David Perno said. “He should be 4-0.”

The most crushing no-decision was against top-ranked Arizona, when the bullpen blew a 4-0 lead after Moreau pitched six shutout innings.

Georgia’s batters refused to let down Moreau this time, pounding the Razorbacks for nine runs by the fifth inning. Arkansas managed a run in Moreau’s final inning, but the 9-1 margin was plenty good enough.

“It’s huge on Sunday to have a guy who can shut them down,” said shortstop Gordon Beckham, who offered plenty of run support with a four-hit, five-RBI game that included a pair of home runs. “Nate could be a Friday or Saturday guy at a lot of places.”

In fact, all three of Georgia’s weekend starters — Moreau, Trevor Holder and Stephen Dodson — have pitched on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout their careers. Perno likes to use Holder in the pivotal Friday night SEC opener since the junior has a little better command over three pitches than the other two.

But Moreau is on a roll more than any other Bulldog. In his last four conference starts of 2007, Moreau went 4-0 with a 2. 74 ERA and beat then-No. 1 Vanderbilt, No. 13 Mississippi State and No. 7 South Carolina.

“It was unfortunate that we didn’t have a really good season last year, but we have most of the people coming back,” Moreau said. “We didn’t catch the breaks, but now we’re starting to turn it around this year.”

Georgia moved to 8-7 overall but more importantly 2-1 in the SEC after rallying from a 10-1 deficit Saturday and blowing out Arkansas on Sunday.

“It’s a real positive to come out and win the first SEC series on the road, coming back yesterday and getting a convincing win today,” Moreau said. “That’s great.”