FAYETTEVILLE -- Series losses in the SEC on the road aren't uncommon. After trouncing Georgia, now No. 5 in the USA Today coaches poll, by 10 runs in Game 1, the now-No. 2 University of Arkansas baseball team lost Saturday and Sunday's games by one run each and fell from its top ranking.

It showcased contrasting performances by the opposing pitching staffs. Georgia's starting rotation, rearranged for the series, totaled 15 2/3 innings and gave up five earned runs. Its relievers, however, allowed 14. Despite the failed comebacks, the Razorbacks scored 17 runs in the seventh innings or later.

Outside of a rough outing Saturday by Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas' starters pitched solid. Friday and Sunday's left-handers, Zach Root and Landon Beidelschies, totaled 10 2/3 innings, giving up 7 earned runs while striking out 13. But the bullpen compiled an even better line: four earned runs in 16 frames.

But the numbers sugarcoat trends. Razorback pitchers in the starting rotation and bullpen alike gave up 14 extra-base hits. Gaeckle, hit hard, gave up merely one. The pitchers got bombarded but did get out of some messes.

But Georgia's offense, despite scoring eight runs total at No. 1 Texas the weekend before, reaffirmed its place as the second-best slugging team in the country. Arkansas' lineup, which has developed the mantra for being deep enough to punish teams when they make blunders, was outshined in that same fashion.

The Bulldogs left the door open for Arkansas to take the rubber match Sunday by committing five errors. The Razorbacks scored three unearned runs but squandered key chances to tally more and win five consecutive conference series, namely in the seventh and 11th innings.

Georgia tallied five errors to Arkansas' one and was called for catcher's interference twice. Arkansas pitchers hit three Bulldogs, which made for an error list that could've boosted to 5-4.

A two-out hit-by-pitch by Beidelschies in the second inning Sunday allowed the space for Georgia to score three runs.

In the seventh, reliever Carson Wiggins hit Devin Obee and then made an error on a pickoff attempt. Those miscues enabled the Bulldogs to recover an important run in the one-run difference -- after the Razorbacks stranded two runners in the top half, trailing by two runs.

"Today, we had guys out there," Coach Dave Van Horn said after Sunday's loss. "We ended up with eight stranded. They had three. ... When they got on, they scored, they hit some home runs ... and our hitters have done a good job with it for most of the year. They didn't do a very good job the last two days. So maybe you just give Georgia's pitchers a little credit."

In Arkansas' five games leading up to the Georgia series, it committed five harmless errors in five wins. The pitchers also plunked six batters. The five games were in wet, rainy conditions or had varying overlaps with pitchers. But those mishaps may have been the sign of a growing problem for Arkansas.

Arkansas pitchers gave up six home runs against Georgia. Three were solo shots, while the other three scored two runs. Razorbacks Wehiwa Aloy and Ryder Helfrick painfully combined for five solo homers. If not for Obee's diving catch in the ninth inning Sunday -- before Aloy's game-tying homer -- Arkansas could've led 6-5, not tied it 5-5 and gotten walked off in the 12th.

Arkansas' bullpen pitched well enough for wins but still had minor and later costly missteps; such is exposed when the offense can't outslug an opponent. With all of the home runs and errors canceled out, the Razorbacks lost out on too many of the remaining influential plays in the one-run losses. They're still without a pair of injured arms, Parker Coil and Gage Wood.

Still, Arkansas is firmly in the race for an SEC title. Texas (13-2 in SEC), Arkansas (12-3), Tennessee (11-4), Georgia (10-5) and LSU (10-5) top the league standings and make up five of the top seven spots in the coaches poll.

Tiny mistakes can stick out for the most dominant of teams when exploited. Van Horn hopes the miscues will be useful teaching moments rather than develop into bad habits.

"We learned a lesson a little bit," Van Horn said. "It's not over until it's over. Hopefully, we'll be a little better going forward."

Arkansas (32-5) will next host Arkansas-Pine Bluff (8-26) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks jumped into the No. 1 spot last week, but dropped to No. 2 on Monday below Texas. Georgia snapped Arkansas' program-record 12-game SEC winning streak.

Sophomore right-hander Tate McGuire will make his third straight midweek start for Arkansas. He last pitched on April 8, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits in 3 innings during a 7-3 victory over Arkansas State.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff has not announced its starter. The Golden Lions are 0-2 against Power Four teams this season. They were outscored 33-17 in losses to Missouri. Arkansas outscored Missouri 51-9 in a three-game sweep April 5-6.

Tuesday's game will be streamed on SEC Network-Plus.