Georgia vs. NC State: Who will advance to the College World Series?

The 18-1 trampling of Georgia on Saturday turned North Carolina State from longshot to favorite in its best-of-three college baseball super regional series. NC State's batters tagged Georgia starter Kolten Smith with 10 straight hits in the second inning en route scoring 11 runs, setting the stage for the worst loss in the Bulldogs' baseball history.

The Wolfpack, who slugged five home runs in 20 hits, moved a win away from qualifying to their fourth College World Series. NC State has two chances to capture one of the eight CWS spots, beginning with Game 2 on Sunday.

However, Georgia can spoil things and force a decider with a victory in Game 2. But it would depend on how the nation's best batter, Charlie Condon, responds to an embarrassing loss like the one in the first game.

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NC State smacks 11 runs in 2nd inning

After an uneventful first inning, NC State elected to play small ball with Brandon Butterworth and Alex Sosa hitting singles. Luke Nixon's bunt single scored Butterworth, and Matt Heavner loaded the bases with another soft hit between the mound and third base.

Noah Soles made it 4-0 with a 3 RBI double down the right field line. Eli Serrano plated a home run for a 6-0 lead. Garrett Pennington and Alec Macarewicz joined the party with consecutive hits. Butterworth, Sosa and Clayton Chadwick combined for five RBIs to make it 11-0.

The Wolfpack's run blitz was the most in an inning for the college baseball program in seven super regional stints. The cushion was enough for NC State starter Sam Highfill to settle down and work six innings of one-run, four-hit ball. Highfill retired the first eight batters before allowing No. 9 batter Kolby Branch to hit a single in the bottom of the third.

Jacob Cozart crashed the NC State hitfest, blasting two home runs on the third and ninth innings. Makarewicz and Pennington also delivered solo homers to put the lead out of reach.

Corey Collins plated the Bulldogs their only run with a run-scoring single in the fifth. But that was the only offense Georgia could muster as the nation's best hitter, Charlie Condon, went 0-for-3 with a walk.

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Georgia needs to dig deep in Game 2 to bounce back

Charlie Condon needs to bounce back from that 0-for-3 outing to help Gerogia win over NC State in Game 2.

Georgia is now on a must-win situation, and its bats should wake up to claim Game 2 and force a decider. Condon must connect to set the tone, and the defense should be ready for another surprise move by the Wolfpack in their next duel on Sunday.

As for their defense, the Bulldogs must prevent a similar disaster in Game 2 if they want to win. Georgia could opt for Leighton Finley (5-1, 4.41 ERA) or Zach Harris (5-1, 6.69 ERA) to start the game.

NC State is yet to announce their starter for Game 2, but there's a possibility that sophomore Dominic Fritton will take the mound on Sunday noon. Fritton is 3-5 with an ERA of 6.75. But don't get the numbers deceive you, as he has a solid outing in the Raleigh regional. He allowed two runs on three hits and four walks in his last outing, so he can be dependable in crucial situations.

The Bulldogs have to get going early in offense and prevent the Wolfpack from blowing the game again. Expect a defensive struggle in Game 2 with both teams trying their best to outhit each other. A 4-3 scoreline in favor of the NC State is possible if Georgia fails to score as many runs as possible.

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Will Georgia bounce back in Game 2 and tie the super regional series against NC State? Let's know your views in the comments section: