Fresno State Edged by Georgia in Game 1

Joey Lewis hit a tie-breaking double in a four-run eighth inning, and Georgia came from three runs behind to defeat Fresno State, 7-6, on Monday night in Game 1 of the College World Series finals.

Fresno State appeared to take control in the top of the eighth when it scored three runs to go up by 6-3. But now Georgia (45-23-1) is a win away from its second baseball title. (It won in 1990.)

“We never think we’re out of it,” Georgia’s Gordon Beckham said. “We showed it tonight.”

After Matt Olson singled leading off the bottom of the eighth, Fresno State called on closer Brandon Burke. Beckham sent Burke’s second pitch over the fence in left-center for his team-record 52nd career homer. Burke shook his head as soon as the ball left the bat.

After the game, Beckham said: “I told Coach earlier on in the week that everybody was giving me a bunch of grief for not hitting a home run and breaking that record. I told him, ‘Coach I’m going to hit one when we need it most.’ ”

Burke (4-6) walked Rich Poythress, then Matt Cerione doubled into the left-field corner. Poythress made it home from first, and Cerione scored the go-ahead run when a bouncer hit up the middle by Lewis glanced off second base and shot into short left field.

Closer Joshua Fields, who gave up four runs to Stanford in the ninth on Saturday, set Fresno State down 1-2-3 to end the game.

Fresno State led, 6-3, in the top of the eighth after Steve Susdorf hit a tie-breaking double off Alex McRee. The hit started a three-run rally that gave Fresno State a short-lived cushion.