Marietta, OH - In a scene that has become commonplace this season for the Montclair State baseball team. JOHN DEUTSCH and PEPE HERRERO led a rally in the ninth inning yesterday that sent the Indians to a 10-8 victory over Eastern Connecticut in the first round of the Division 3 World Series at Pioneer Park.

Montclair State 931-14-1) had squandered an 8-1 lead entering the top of the ninth in an 8-8 deadlock, before Deutsch and Herrero, the two top run producers for the Indians, wh why they were both named to the Division 3 All-America Team this season.

The 6-6, 235-pound Deutsch, who belted a three-run homer in his first at bat, singled to right with one out. He scored all the way from first with the winning run after Herrero lined a double that hit off the left-field wall on one bounce and was bobble for an error.

With Herrero on third, courtesy of a throwing error on the relay, MIKE WENRICH hit a little looper for his fourth hit of the game and a 10-8 lead. The safety barely reached the outfield grass over a drawn-in Eastern Connecticut infield.

WAYNE MASTERS (4-1), who gave up a run and four hits in three and a third innings, nailed down the victory. The righthander retired Nick Vita on a fly to the warning track with a man on for the final out. Ismael Roman (5-4) was the loser in relief.

The Indians advance to today's second round of double-elimination play with a 12:30 game against California-San Diego (32-12), which lost to North Carolina Wesleyan, 6-5, yesterday. Wisconsin-Oshkosh rolled by North Central of Illinois, 16-1, in its first game.

The Warriors got off to a fast start giving Montclair's freshman starter, BRIAN DEVINS, a rude introduction to the World Series when leadoff batter Joe Crimi hit Devins' second pitch for a home run in the bottom of the first. Mike DeLucia followed with a single to left before Devins threw a double-play ball, the first of four turned by the Indians.

With two out an nne on in the second, Wenrich singled to center and scored ahead of LEROY HORN's fifth home run of the year, a line shots over the 370-foot marker in left center.

Horn, who set an NCAA record n the football field for Montclair by rushing for 310 yards in one half of a 1985 game, was taking his initial swings in World Series competition. The junior hit a 2-2 curve for his homer after looking bad on two breaking pitches thrown by starter Norm Worthington.

"I was looking for him to throw the curve again and he hung it," said Horn, who had two hits and scored twice.

The Indians struck quickly again in the third after the first two batters made out. JIM FASANO walked and JOHN MCCLAIN singled to left. But when McClain rounded first too far, he was caught in a rundown. First baseman Jeff Johnson made the mental error of trying to nab Fasano off third and both runners were safe.

That brought the dangerous Deutsch to the plate with first base open. The big left-handed batter jumped all over a 1-0 pitch and deposited it 400-feet away in right for his 20th homer of the season and a 5-1 lead.

Deutsch, who had three hits, scored three and drove in three, did his best Reggie Jackson imitation, standing at the plate for a long look after connecting for his homer that gave him a team-leading 70 RBI.

"We told our catcher to pitch around him (Deutsch), but he shouldn't have been up there anyway when you consider the play we made before it," said Eastern Connecticut coach Bill Holowaty. "We just gave them too many opportunities.

Wenrich, who had sprayed a hit to each field in his first three trips, led off the fourth with a single and came around to score on consecutive singles by Horn and Bill Coyle. Horn scored on a balk later in the inning to make it 7-1. Deutsch singled and scored on a wild pitch in the fifth for an 8-1 score.

Meanwhile, Devins, who owned a regular-season victory over the Warriors, was managing to get out of a number of tight spots un his luck changed in the sixth.

A stray pebble changed the fortunes for Devins and Montclair as Eastern Connecticut cur the deficit to 8-7. With two outs and runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Keith Martin hit sharp grounder toward KEVIN CAVALLO at second that looked to end the inning. The ball hit the ground before taking a nasty hop at the last second. Cavallo managed to knock it down but couldn't make a play and the bases were loaded.

"It must have hit a rock for something," said Cavallo. "There were rocks on the whole field and the ball found one of them."

After that strange bounce, Crimi, who knocked in four runs, hit a blooper off the halndle that fell safely, scoring two runs. DeLucia followed with a soft hit over short for another run sending Devins to the showers and bringing n Masters. Masters made a wild pickoff throw to let the seventh run home

Devins had gotten a double-play with the bases loaded started by Cavallo in the fourth and another twin killing in the fifth, started by BOB LEVY at third.

Johnson led off the seventh with a homer to right to make it an 8-8 game. Roman shut down Montclair in the sixth, seventh and eighth before the decisive rally.