OMAHA — Alan Ahmady hit the go-ahead single in the fifth inning, five Fresno State pitchers combined to hold North Carolina scoreless for all but one inning, and the upstart Bulldogs continued to surprise Tuesday night with a 5-3 victory in the College World Series.
The Bulldogs (44-29), the first No. 4 regional seed to reach the CWS, have won two straight in Omaha to take control of Bracket 2. They need one more win to reach the best-of-three championship round, which starts next Monday.
North Carolina (52-13), the No. 2 national seed, will meet LSU in an elimination game Thursday, with the winner facing Fresno State on Friday. If the Bulldogs lose, they’ll play the same opponent Saturday in an elimination game.
LSU 6, Rice 5
Blake Dean kept LSU alive in the CWS by hitting a game-winning, three-run double against Rice, which was eliminated.
The Tigers’ victory over Rice marked the second time in three wins in the national tournament they’ve come back from a three-run deficit in the ninth inning. LSU (49-18-1) plays Thursday against North Carolina. Rice finished the season with a 47-15 record.
The Associated Press
