College World Series

Congrats to Frezzno- they got a well-pitched game at just the right time.
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Fresno State beats Georgia to win national title

Bulldogs' bats go cold in decisive third game

By STAN AWTREY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 06/26/08

Omaha, Neb.- The Georgia baseball team never counted on this.

Of all the things that might have gone wrong, the Bulldogs could never have fathomed that it would be an impotent offense that would deprive them of a College World Series championship.


But the team that averaged 7.6 runs in its first five games in Omaha was limited to six hits and watched in disbelief as Fresno State frolicked on the Rosenblatt Stadium turf with the championship trophy after a 6-1 victory.

"You have to tip your hat to Fresno," said Georgia coach David Perno. "They're true champions. They did it the hard way. Five wins in five days, and they won the games that mattered."

Georgia (45-25-1) won its first four games of the CWS, including a 7-6 win over Fresno State on Monday, and needed to beat Fresno only one more time to claim its first NCAA baseball title since 1990. But the Bulldogs were taken to the cleaners 19-10 on Tuesday, being blown away after posting a 5-0 lead, and had little left for Wednesday's showdown.

Fresno State (47-31) won its first baseball championship, despite having to play its last 22 games on the road. The Bulldogs became the first Western Athletic Conference team to win the title.

"These eight seniors took control [after beating Long Beach State in the super regional] and decided to do things right on and off the field, and they did it. It was a beautiful thing. All I had to do was get out of their way," coach Mike Batesole said.

The bottom of Georgia's batting order, which had been productive in the first part of the CWS, went missing Wednesday. The last three hitters were a combined 2-for-11. Joey Lewis had both hits, a triple in the fourth and a single in the ninth. He failed to score in the fourth when Lyle Allen and Miles Starr each struck out to end the inning. He wound up at third in the ninth when the game ended.

The top of the order wasn't much better. Leadoff hitter Ryan Peisel flied out with the bases loaded to kill a rally in the second. Matt Olson added an 0-for-5 performance to his CWS miseries; the senior finished the series 3-for-29.

The only bright spot was shortstop Gordon Beckham, who picked up a school-record 112th and 113th hits of the season and yanked his 28th homer in the eighth inning, which tied him for the national lead.

"We pushed a little as a group too hard," Peisel said. "Too many of us were trying for a six-run homer. We were a little overanxious. It's just one of those things, we just came up on the short end tonight."

Georgia simply couldn't figure out Fresno State starter Justin Wilson, a lefty who hit spots and threw strikes. In eight innings the junior, a fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, threw 129 pitches, struck out nine and gave up five hits, none after the fourth inning. Georgia managed no more than one hit in any inning against Wilson (9-5), who won his second game of the CWS.

"The kept the ball down, he worked both sides of the plate and once he got two strikes he expanded the strike zone and we chased it," Peisel said.

Clayton Allison came in the pitch the last inning and allowed the first two runners to reach base, forcing Fresno coach Mike Batesole to call for save leader Brandon Burke, who struggled against Georgia on Monday. Burke put down the rally by inducing David Thoms to hit into a double play, then got Olson on a fly to right field to end the game.