Omaha, Neb.

Fresno State was holding live auditions for its pitching staff on Monday night at Rosenblatt Stadium. No experience necessary. Training provided. Must be willing to work. It was Fresno's only option, since its starting staff had been depleted by a four-game trip to the title series.

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Georgia's Rich Poythress scores in the eighth inning in front of Fresno State's Ryan Overland.

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\uFEFFKEVIN C. COX / Getty Images Gordon Beckham (6) celebrates his eighth-inning home run with teammate Matt Olson.

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: GAME 2 • GEORGIA VS. FRESNO STATE • 7 P.M. TODAY • ESPN • 680 AM RELATED STORIES UGA's Beckham thriving in his big league moment  Consensus: Bulldogs to finish ahead of Jackets  Walton's Burrows commits to Dogs  UGA gives scholarship to Paulding County walk-on Wheeling  Dogs' Strickland out for 2009 season         • More UGA coverage

It took Georgia eight innings to muster up enough offense against Fresno's version of auditions for a high school musical, a procession of guys with little experience, unfamiliar names and high ERAs. And in keeping with its winning-late habit, Georgia pushed across four runs in the eighth inning for a 7-6 victory.

The win leaves Georgia one win shy of its first College World Series championship since 1990. The second in the best-of-three series will be played today at 7 p.m.

"Our guys kept believing and kept pushing," Georgia coach David Perno said.

Georgia (45-23-1) hit the ball hard against Fresno's cast of unknowns but had little to show for it. They mustered only one run against starter Sean Bonesteele and his 6.75 ERA, only one run against Jake Floethe (8.51 ERA), nothing against Kris Tomlinson (6.75 ERA), and just one against Jason Breckley (7.54).

"If you'd told me we'd hold that offense to seven with the arms we had available, I would have taken it," Fresno coach Mike Batesole said. "We got more out of our guys than I thought we would."

And when Georgia's lefty reliever Alex McRee, who had been solid throughout the playoffs, imploded to allow three runs in the top of the eighth, Georgia was backed into a corner.

But once again, Georgia responded. Trailing 6-3, it got a leadoff hit from Matt Olson and Fresno (45-31) brought in Brandon Burke, the team's leader with 13 saves. Gordon Beckham welcomed him with a two-run homer, his 27th of the season and school-record 52nd of his career, to draw Georgia to within a run.

"Everybody has been giving me a bunch of grief about when I'm going to hit that home run," Beckham said. "I told Coach I was waiting until we needed it the most. Tonight was a pretty good time."

Georgia tied it when Matt Cerione, who struck out five times in the last game, doubled home Rich Poythress. Cerione scored the winning run minutes later when Joey Lewis slapped the ball up the middle.

"Gordon's home run jump-started us, but we won the game after that," Perno said. "Those guys [Cerione and Lewis] battled, and I'm happy for them because they came through at the right time,"

Said Fresno's Batesole: "Give them credit. They did a great job with two strikes."

Georgia's Joshua Fields got Fresno in order in the ninth for his 18th save. Will Harvil (2-1) earned the win with one-third of an inning of relief. Starter Trevor Holder pitched seven strong innings to keep the game close.

"In the big games the great players step up," Perno said. "We're fortunate we had Gordon Beckham and Josh Fields in our dugout."