ATHENS, Ga. ---Top-seeded and number eight national seed Georgia pounded out 18 hits and took advantage of six Georgia Tech errors to cruise to an 18-6 victory over the Yellow Jackets to win the NCAA Athens Regional Monday in front of 3,518 at Foley Field.

The Bulldogs (39-22-1) advance to the Super Regional round where they will face N.C. State (41-20) beginning Friday at 12 p.m. ET at Foley Field on ESPN. Game two of the Super Regional will be Saturday at 12 p.m. (ESPN2) and Sunday will be at 4 p.m. (ESPN2). The winner of the best two-out-of-three series will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., June 14-25.

It was the second time in as many days Georgia defeated its in-state rival as the Bulldogs won four straight games in the Athens Regional after falling to Lipscomb Friday in game one. The Bulldogs defeated Georgia Tech (41-21) 8-0 on Sunday to force a rematch. Georgia is now 15-0 in elimination games at Foley Field.

“I didn’t see this coming tonight,” Georgia head coach David Perno said. “This was just the will, spirit and camaraderie of our team and it was second to none. After Friday’s game I told our guys that we had history on our side and that we just had to play to our identity and we did it. I don’t know why we have done it. I guess we’ve just had the right players at the right time.”

Tournament Most Outstanding Player Matt Olson led the attack for the Bulldogs, going 5-for-6 with three RBI and four runs scored. For the tournament, Olson was 18-for-26 (.692 avg, 10 runs, 6 RBI). Bryce Massanari added three hits for the Bulldogs while Gordon Beckham, Rich Poythress, Lyle Allen and David Thoms had two hits apiece.

Alex McRee (6-1) earned the win for Georgia, allowing just one earned run while striking out five in 4.0 innings in relief. Brandon Cumpton (2-1) took the loss for the Yellow Jackets

Georgia, the visiting team, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Ryan Peisel led off with a walk, and after a Matt Olson single, a sacrifice fly by Gordon Beckham put runners on the corners with one out. Another sacrifice fly by Rich Poythress scored Peisel and gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. A single by Bryce Massanari and a wild pitch scored Olson to put Georgia ahead 2-0. Georgia Tech’s Brad Feltes was unable to handle a grounder at third, allowing Olson to score from second.

Georgia Tech answered with five runs in the bottom half of the first. The Yellow Jackets started off the inning with three singles, and a walk to Dietrich loaded the bases, knocking Georgia starter Justin Grimm out of the game.

Georgia got three runs back in the second. With two outs and nobody on, Olson and Beckham singled followed by a walk to Poythress to load the bases. A two-run single by Massanari and another Georgia Tech error gave the Bulldogs a 6-5 advantage.

The Bulldogs broke the game open with four runs in the fourth highlighted by a two-run double by Matt Cerione. Georgia added two more in the fifth, three in the sixth and three in the seventh to close out the scoring.

Georgia reliever Will Harvill threw four innings of scoreless relief and Joshua Fields closed out the game with a perfect ninth.

Also named to the All-Tournament Team from Georgia included Poythress, Peisel, Beckham, Olson, Massanari and Nick Montgomery.

The 2008 NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament Team:
C-Jason Haniger, Ga. Tech
1B-Rich Poythress, Georgia
2B-Justin McClanahan, Louisville
3B-Ryan Peisel, Georgia
SS-Gordon Beckham, Georgia
OF-Matt Olson, Georgia
OF-Charlie Blackmon, Ga. Tech
OF-Blake Bratcher, Lipscomb
DH-Bryce Massanari, Georgia
P-Nick Montgomery, Georgia
P-Rex Brothers, Lipscomb
Most Outstanding Player: Matt Olson, Georgia