LSU prefers to come from behind.

So with the score tied at Rosenblatt Stadium in the ninth inning, something — or someone — had to give during Friday’s weather-delayed elimination game in the College World Series. And it came in the form of junior catcher Tim Federowicz, whose breath-catching grand slam into the middle part of the left-field grandstands beat LSU 7-3 and kept UNC’s NCAA title hopes alive.

The second-seeded Tar Heels advanced to play Fresno State at 7 p.m. EDT today. They must beat the Bulldogs twice in order to advance to their third straight best-of-three championship series.

“Great swing, great at-bat, just call him ‘Clutch,’ ” said UNC senior Chad Flack, who knows a bit about coming up with big hits in pressure situations. “He’s given us another day to live on. And that’s what you’ve got to do when you get out here — play hard, and get to the next day. And then do it all over again.”

The score was tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, with one out, when UNC shortstop Ryan Graepel — known more for his defense than his offense — doubled to the right-center wall. LSU pitcher Louis Coleman (8-1) intentionally walked first baseman Dustin Ackley — who reached base all five times he came to the plate — and the Tar Heels inserted Mark Fleury to pinch hit for Kyle Shelton. Graepel and Ackley advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. After

Fleury struck out swinging, Tim Fedroff (who hadn’t gotten a hit since Thursday’s first inning) was intentionally walked to load the bases.

That brought up Federowicz, who before that at-bat was hitting 11-for-51 (.216) all-time in the CWS. He had never hit a grand slam in his college career.

“I was confident going up there, and my adrenaline was pumping,” Federowicz said. “... I had struck out on the at-bat before, and I knew he was going to bring the slider.”

So on a 1-1 count, Federowicz, of Apex — aptly nicknamed “Fedex,” considering how he delivered — said he “caught a bad one” and mashed UNC’s first home run of this CWS. It marked the sixth postseason homer of his career, and his third in three trips to Omaha.

“I never saw the ball hit, I don’t know where it went, but as soon as he hit it — as soon as I heard it — I knew it was gone,” senior pitcher Rob Wooten said. “It was the greatest feeling I’ve had in a long time ... and one of the greatest home runs in Carolina history.”

Most important to UNC: It gave the Heels a four-run cushion that even the rally-prone Tigers (49-19-1) couldn’t overcome.

“We ran out of miracles, and right now it hurts,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri, whose team rallied from a five-run deficit against Rice on Tuesday to advance to this game.

Considering that UNC (53-13) hasn’t had to come from behind much this season, things started to get tense when its early advantage started to dwindle.

The Tar Heels, who began Friday with a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Thursday’s game was suspended, were still leading 2-1 when lightning and hail delayed play, again, for 1 hour, 27 minutes in the third inning. They extended their cushion in the top of the fifth, when LSU intentionally walked Fedroff to load the bases and Federowicz reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Graepel, who had begun the inning with a walk. That made it 3-1.

But the Tigers, winners of 26 of their previous 28 games — including 19 when facing a deficit — were bound to rally. In the bottom of the sixth, LSU first baseman Matt Clark — who now leads the nation with 28 home runs, including one off UNC’s Alex White on Sunday — blasted a two-run shot over the right-field wall off UNC reliever Brian Moran to tie the score, 3-3.

Wooten, UNC’s fourth pitcher of the game, came on in the bottom of the seventh and struck out two straight Tigers before the inning ended with a pop fly.

But in the bottom of the eighth, Wooten couldn’t grab a ball hit by left fielder Jared Mitchell, allowing him to reach base on an error.

The Tar Heels then inserted White (12-3), the ACC Pitcher of the Year, for only his third relief appearance this season, and first since March 15. He had not allowed a run in four innings out of the bullpen this year, and that streak looked in jeopardy when he walked two batters, loading the bases. But after a conference with pitching coach Scott Forbes and the rest of the infield at the mound, White got shortstop D.J. LeMahieu to pop out to second baseman Kyle Seager. Then LSU’s Leon Landry grounded out to third.

And the Tar Heels had hope, leading to the first CWS grand slam since 2001.

“Sometimes, this game will step up and reward you,” UNC coach Mike Fox said. “And I’m happy for Tim; he’s been a big part of our program the last three years. ... My hat’s off to him, getting the biggest hit of this game.”

BRIEFLY: Ackley recorded his ninth career four-hit game.

• With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, play was briefly interrupted when a streaker jumped over the right- center field fence and got all the way to center field before members of the grounds crew tackled him.

• UNC used five pitchers in the game and held LSU to four hits, which matched a season low for the Tigers. Tonight’s Tar Heels starter is to be determined.