Omaha, Neb. — The bottom of the batting order is typically a place where rallies go to die. Not so with the Georgia baseball team. Although their numbers aren't as gaudy as some of the other teams competing in the College World Series, their contributions have been crucial to the team's success.

The Bulldogs typically use the designated hitter in the No. 7 hole, either right-handed Joey Lewis or left-handed Robbie O'Bryan. Left fielder Lyle Allen hits eighth and either right-hand hitting Miles Starr or left-hand hitting David Thoms will bat last and play second base.

"We're much better off when those guys get on base," said right fielder Matt Olson. "Their job is to get on base, get runners over and give us some base runners to drive in."

In the opening 7-4 win over Miami, the bottom third of the lineup went 5-for-11 and scored five runs. In the 4-3 victory over Stanford the trio was 3-for-11 with one RBI.

"They were huge" in the first game, said Georgia coach David Perno. "They had some good at-bats and frustrated the pitcher."

Against Miami, Lewis got the team's first hit, a double in the third, was moved over by Allen and driven in by leadoff hitter Ryan Peisel. Starr got an infield hit in the sixth and scored on Peisel's two-run homer. O'Bryan, who had replaced Lewis in the seventh, reached first on a wild pitch following a strikeout and scored what turned out to be the winning run.

Thoms then began the play of the year. His comebacker to Miami pitcher Carlos Gutierrez was hastily fielded and thrown past the first baseman and into the right-field corner. It allowed two runs to score and set up another RBI single for Peisel.

The contributions weren't quite as substantial against Stanford, but certainly helped. A double by Allen and a single by Thoms put runners on the corners in the third, but both were stranded. Thoms had another single, but was thrown out stealing. O'Bryan, pinch-hitting in the sixth, took a four-pitch bases-loaded walk to drive in a run.

"We need to. We had been relying on the top of the order too much, so it was time for us to step up and do our part," Allen said. "If you get all nine going we've got a pretty potent lineup."

Lewis, a sophomore from Fayetteville, has started 52 games — 32 as catcher — and is batting .249 with six homers and 31 RBIs. O'Bryan, a redshirt freshman from Marietta, is batting .206 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 63 at-bats.

Allen, who has started 54 games, is batting .284 with seven doubles, two homers and 30 RBIs.

Thoms and Starr have misleading stats, which are skewed because of limited play. The duo has split time at second base since Michael Demperio tore his ACL on May 4. Thoms, a redshirt sophomore from Watkinsville, is batting .210 with three RBIs and Starr, a junior from St. Simons Island, is hitting .200 with five RBIs.