Robbi Pickeral, Staff Writer
OMAHA, NEB. - When North Carolina senior Chad Flack was asked Friday night how catcher Tim Federowicz's game- winning, ninth-inning grand slam against LSU compared to some of Flack's historic postseason homers, he replied: "It's the best, right now, because it means we're still playing."
Saturday night, the third baseman took the "clutch" crown back — for the same reason.
With the Tar Heels trailing by one run in the bottom of the eighth inning, Flack blasted a home run to left field that just missed hitting the scoreboard at Rosenblatt Stadium, securing a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Fresno State and forcing a decisive rematch in the College World Series with the Bulldogs at 7 tonight. The winner will play Georgia in the best-of-three championship series, beginning Monday.
"I don't know what to say," North Carolina coach Mike Fox said. "I know that Chad Flack is the clutchest player I've ever coached, or I'll ever be fortunate enough to coach. And he's proven that time and time again for us."
Carolina, the second seed, was trailing 3-2 when second baseman Kyle Seager opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a double, Flack's original mission was to put down a bunt to advance Seager to third. But Fresno State reliever Justin Miller threw him a couple of balls, then Fox gave Flack the green light to hit. Then Miller threw Flack -- who was batting 5-for-34 in eight previous NCAA tournament games -- a fastball.
"At 3-2, I was just looking to do my job, to get Seager over," said Flack, who set a new CWS record with 70 career at-bats,. "and he just happened to leave one over the plate for me."
The hit marked his first home run in Omaha, but it added to a string of legendary hits in the NCAA tournament. As a sophomore in 2006, he belted a two-run home run in ninth inning of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional to send UNC to its first College World Series since 1989. Then last year against South Carolina in the Chapel Hill Super Regional, he did it again -- belting a two-run home run in the seventh.
"Any time Chad goes to the plate, you know something great can happen," Federowicz said. "We're just glad it did."
Indeed, the game had been eerily similar to the win against the Tigers 24 hours before, what with a 48-minute weather delay, the bad habit of leaving men on base and the need to have a big relief effort from ACC Pitcher of the Year Alex White.
Thanks in part of a fourth-inning, two-run home run by Bulldog Tommy Mendonca, UNC was trailing 3-2 in the seventh when White, UNC's normal No. 1 starter, entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs. He ended that inning with two straight strikeouts, then forced the Bulldogs to go three-up, three-down with another strikeout to end the top of the eighth -- setting up Flack's heroics.
After the winning home run, White (13-3) closed the game with another three-up, three-down domination in the ninth, securing his third win in the College World Series, tying a CWS record.
"I think Alex has found himself a new role for us," Fox said, only half kidding.
Miller (6-4) picked up the loss for the Bulldogs, the lowest seed to ever advance to the CWS.
"This team is having so much fun right now, and being able to stay together a little bit longer is something we cherish," Flack said.
And he said his homer doesn't necessarily outshine the grand slam from Federowicz.
"If he hadn't hit that last night, I might not be in my situation today," he said. "Hopefully people keep stepping up, and we have the team to do it."
BRIEFLY: Fox said Adam Warren will be the starting pitcher for UNC tonight.
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