Montclair State Scores Five in 11th to Eliminate UCSD in World Series

Montclair (N.J.) State College scored five runs in the top of the 11th inning Friday to defeat UC San Diego, 9-4, eliminating the Tritons from the NCAA Division III World Series at Marietta, Ohio.

UCSD (32-13) scored single runs in the third, sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Montclair State (32-14-1) scored twice in the fifth and twice in the eighth before it broke the game open in extra innings.

Montclair State pitcher Wayne Masters (5-1) entered the game in the eighth and shut out the Tritons the rest of the way.

Montclair State loaded the bases with a single and two walks against UCSD reliever Mike Morgan (5-3). Jim Fasano’s bases-loaded single knocked in what proved to be the winning run. John McClain followed with a bases-loaded triple that put Montclair State ahead, 8-4. McClain scored on John Deutsch’s sacrifice fly.

UCSD had tied the game, 4-4, in the eighth when Derek Alkonis singled, stole second, went to third on catcher Bill Coyle’s throwing error and scored when Jim Nicolaisen’s grounder was bobbled by Fasano.

Fasano was 3 for 5 with 1 RBI, McClain was 1 for 5 with 3 RBIs and Leroy Horn added 2 RBIs for Montclair State. UCSD All-American Bob Natal was 3 for 5 with 1 RBI and Alkonis was 2 for 5 with 1 RBI.