Miller, who lasted four innings and got a no-decision in a 5-3 win over North Carolina earlier in the CWS, lasted only 2 2-3 innings.

Three of Georgia’s first four batters singled. Rich Poythress drove in a run, and after Matt Cerione was intentionally walked to load the bases, Joey Lewis hit a two-run single up the middle. Poythress’ sacrifice fly in the second and David Thomas’ RBI single in the third finished off Miller.

The big start didn’t lull Georgia into complacency, shortstop Gordon Beckham said.

“It was too early,” he said. “We weren’t caught off-guard. It’s not like we let down. We were in the dugout saying we have a lot of time left and they’re a good team.

“They beat us straight up. We were not fooled. They took us over. We were ready, and they just hit. It was their night.”

Georgia starter Nick Montgomery held Fresno State to one hit the first two innings.

“The biggest thing was that there was no sense of panic,” Susdorf said. “Nobody was in the dugout panicking, say, ’Oh, my, we’re down 5-0 and we might not play tomorrow.’ It was, ’Keep taking good bat-bats, get runners on base and make good things happen.”’

Steve Detwiler singled and scored on a wild pitch for Fresno State’s first run and Susdorf followed with a bases-loaded, two-run single to chase Montgomery.

After Stephen Dodson (5-5) got Alan Ahmady to fly out, Mendonca launched a first-pitch homer into the middle of the bleachers in right field, his 19th, for the lead. Mendonca joined seven others who have hit four homers in a CWS.

The runs kept coming in the fourth and fifth, and still more in the seventh and eighth.

Holden Sprague (6-2), who relieved Miller, held Georgia to one run on four singles and a double from the fourth to sixth inning. Georgia scored four runs against Sprague in the seventh to pull within five runs, but Fresno State responded with three more runs in the bottom half.

Batesole and his players sat stone-faced at the postgame news conference. This team has come too far to have a premature celebration. There’s still work to do Wednesday.

“The time to celebrate,” second baseman Erik Wetzel said, “will be after.”

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