NC State tops UGA, makes MCWS for 4th time

ATHENS, Ga. — Eli Serrano III hit a home run in the sixth inning and made a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the seventh, helping North Carolina State beat Georgia 8-5 on Monday night to secure the program’s fourth trip to the Men’s College World Series.

NC State (38-21) advances to an opening-round game against Kentucky on Saturday. The Wolfpack have won 18 of their past 23 games.

They became the fourth ACC team to reach this year’s MCWS, joining Florida State, Virginia and UNC, tying 2006 for most in a single year for the conference.

Georgia (43-17), which forced a winner-take-all game with an 11-2 victory Sunday, was looking to make its seventh trip to the MCWS.

NC State took the lead for good 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning when Matt Heavner scored from third on a wild pitch. Alec Makarewicz made it 4-2 with an RBI single down the third-base line.

NC State extended it to 6-3 in the seventh on Alex Sosa’s third hit of the game.

Georgia had two on with no outs in the seventh before Serrano’s highlight catch to keep a three-run lead. NC State reliever Derrick Smith got Tre Phelps, who had a hit in his first three at-bats, to pop up to end the inning.

Makarewicz followed in the top of the eighth with NC State’s 16th home run in six NCAA tournament games for an 8-4 lead.

Georgia star Charlie Condon hit his nation-leading 37th home run in the top of the ninth for his 78th RBI. Smith retired Phelps again for his eighth save of the season.

Georgia starter Zach Harris (5-2) allowed three runs in three innings to take the loss.

Serrano went 3-for-4 and Makarewicz finished with three RBI. Garrett Pennington hit a two-run shot in the second for NC State’s sixth straight game with a home run.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.