COLLEGE BASEBALL

• Fresno State advances to face Georgia in CWS finals

  
  

  Omaha, NE (Sports Network) - Tommy Mendonca had three hits and drove in four runs, as Fresno State advanced to the College World Series championship series with a 6-1 win over North Carolina at Rosenblatt Stadium.

  The Tar Heels, the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, had faced two straight elimination games. Friday they beat LSU on a ninth-inning grand slam, and on Saturday, North Carolina beat Fresno State thanks to an eighth-inning homer from Chad Flack to force Sunday's tie-breaking game.

  But there were no dramatics this time around for North Carolina, as Fresno State -- the first team seeded fourth regionally to ever reach the College World Series -- continued its unlikely run in its fourth CWS appearance.

  The Bulldogs advanced to meet Georgia, which advanced to the best-of-three matchup with a 10-8 win over Stanford on Saturday. The first game of that series will take place on Monday at 7 p.m. (et).

  North Carolina had advanced to the CWS championship series in each of the past two seasons, but ended its season with a 54-14 record.

  Clayton Allison earned the win for Fresno State after a brilliant six-inning performance, in which he held Tar Heels hitters to one run on six hits and three walks. He also struck out six, and was sharp early, allowing three baserunners through the first three innings.

  North Carolina starter Adam Warren didn't allow a run, but got into trouble in the second inning as Fresno State loaded the bases with two outs. Brian Moran came on in relief, and got out of the jam after shortstop Ryan Graepel made a diving stop on a grounder for the force out at second.

  The Bulldogs got to Moran in the bottom of the third. Erik Wetzel singled with one out and Steve Susdorf doubled to put the runners in scoring position. Moran then intentionally walked Alan Ahmady to load the bases, though picked him off for the second out.

  However, Mendonca took advantage of the situation and stroked a single through the left side of the infield that plated both runs.

  In the fourth, North Carolina threatened after two straight singles to start the inning. Allison walked Tim Federowicz and Kyle Shelton to force in a run before getting out of the jam.

  Fresno State got the run back in the bottom half on Danny Muno's RBI single for a 3-1 score, and added another in the fifth when Mendonca stroked an RBI double.

  After Allison got through the sixth inning unscathed, Fresno State got a rally going the same way it did in the third -- a Wetzel single, and Steve Susdorf double. Ahmady grounded into a fielder's choice to plate one run, and Mendonca made it 6-1 with a single to right.

  It was up to the Fresno State bullpen to hold the edge and they did not fail. Holden Sprague allowed two hits but completed a scoreless seventh, then Brandon Burke delivered two scoreless frames to end the game.

  Wetzel and Susdorf both finished with two hits and two runs scored for Fresno State, while Dustin Ackley and Tim Fedroff each collected three hits for North Carolina.

  Moran allowed two runs on three hits in 1 1/3 frames to absorb the loss.

  06/22 23:44:23 ET