Jun 25, 2008 - 1:09 AM
0 shoutsOMAHA, Nebraska (Ticker) -- Cinderella is alive and the hit parade will carry her into the deciding game for the national championship.
Fresno State erased an early five-run deficit with offensive explosions in the third, fourth and fifth innings to record a 19-10 triumph over Georgia on Tuesday to even the College World Series at one game apiece.
The deciding game is Wednesday with Georgia sending junior lefthander Nathan Moreau (4-3, 5.22 ERA) to the mound, while Fresno State counters with Justin Wilson (8-5, 4.34 ERA), also a junior lefthander.
"It wasn't the first time this club has answered the bell when it had to," Fresno State coach Mike Batesole said. "I thought they worked hard for every out we got today. It was one win. Today puts us in a place where we have a chance to win tomorrow."
Steve Susdorf went 2-for-5 with four RBI and led seven others with multi-hit efforts to help Fresno State become the first team in history to score at least 16 runs or more in the same College World Series. It scored 17 against Rice earlier in the tournament.
"The biggest thing was there was no sense of panic," Susdorf said.
"We just couldn't stop them tonight," Georgia coach David Perno said. "On the three-run homer (Tommy Mendonca in the third), that was my bad. We went with our third best pitch in that situation and that was my fault. Hopefully, the team will pick me up tomorrow."
Now 5-0 in elimination games, Fresno State allowed Georgia to build a 5-0 advantage in the third inning off starter Justin Miller, who allowed five runs, six hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings.
In the third, Fresno State sent nine batters to the plate and scored six runs off four hits - including a three-run home run by Tommy Mendoca - and two walks. Georgia tied the game again in the fourth when Gordon Beckham's RBI single knocked in Matt Olson, who led the inning off with a double.
But in the bottom of the fourth, Steve Detwiler's single began a five-run rally. After Jordan Ribera followed suit, Danny Muno connected on a two-run triple. Five more base hits plated three extra runs to put Fresno State ahead, 11-6.
Susdorf blasted a two-run homer in the fifth, where Fresno State tallied four runs.
The top of Fresno State's lineup didn't contribute much in Monday's 7-6 loss. Danny Muno, Gavin Hedstrom and Erik Wetzel combined to go 0-for-13 with three strikeouts and one run scored. The Bulldogs' three homers all came from the bottom of the lineup, as Mendoca hit his third of the tournament, Ribera hit his second and Detwiler had his first homer in Omaha.
Instead, the top three went 7-for-13 with six RBI and 10 runs on Tuesday. The entire Fresno State lineup produced, too, since eight batters scored runs and recorded an RBI.
Fresno State has also had difficulty hitting with runners in scoring position. Entering Tuesday, it was a combined 4-for-31 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-7 on Monday. However, Tuesday's fireworks were a convincing way to erase such struggles.
Georgia's bullpen allowed 14 runs and 15 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
If Georgia wins Wednesday, it will be the first College World Series champion to have had a losing record the previous season. The Bulldogs finished 23-33 in 2007, which was the worst overall mark in the SEC.
