Box Score Marietta, OH - This Montclair State baseball team may not rate with the best that come out of the Upper Montclair, N.J. campus in the past, but it's making coach Kevin Cooney look awfully good right now.

Yesterday, the Indians hung tough before pushing across five runs in the top of the 11th inning to score a 9-4 victory over the University of California at San Diego in the second round of the Division 3 World Series at Pioneer Park.

""We've brought better teams to Ohio before," said Cooney, who took a chance by holding back his No. 1 starter yesterday. "but there's something about this team. When they get behind, they think they can win."

The triumph put Montclair State (32-14-1) at 2-0 in the double-elimination tournament and into today's 12:30 winner's-bracket game against Wisconsin-Oshkosh (36-3) which was an 11-6 winner over North Carolina Wesleyan. It the first game yesterday, Eastern Connecticut ousted North Central of Illinois 6-3. California-San Diego (32-13) was eliminated by the loss, leaving four teams alive in a bid for the national title.

It looked like the Indians might be done in by some shaky defensive play in the late innings, but despite four errors, managed to keep it a tie game until they broke it open in the 11th.

Among the many heroes for Montclair was WAYNE MASTERS (5-1), who won his second game in as many days out of the bullpen. The sophomore righthander gave up just one hit and three and two-thirds innings and pitched hitless ball over the final three.

MIKE WENRICH led off the decisive 11th for Montclair, which batted around by drawing a walk off loser Mike Morgan (6-3). Bill Coyle's sacrifice bunt eluded Morgan for a single and KEVIN CAVALLO walked with one out to load the bases.

That brought to the plate JIM FASANO, who had committed two errors that helped the Tritons from California score their third and fourth runs. The shortstop redeemed himself in a big way by lining a 1-2 pitch into right field, scoring Wenrich for a 5-4 lead.

"Believe it or not, I'm better hitter with two strikes," said Fasano, who had three of the Indians' 10 hits. "I bear down and just hit the ball where it's pitched. I was confident I would hit the ball hard."

With the bases still loaded, Cooney called on John McLain to lay down a suicide-squeeze bunt. Fortunately for Montclair, McClain's bunt attempt sailed foul. On the next pitch, the left-handed batter pounded a triple to right center to make it and 8-4 ballgame.

"He just hung a curve," said McClain. "When I got to third base I told coach Cooney that I didn't foul the ball off on purpose. He said he believed in me."

JOHN DEUTSCH brought home McClain with the final run when he lofted a sacrifice fly to left.

Masters got two fly balls and a strikeout in the bottom of the inning to end the game that lasted three hours and 22 minutes.

"I got into a groove a lot quicker in this game," said Masters, who gave up one run and four hits in three and a third innings Thursday in a 10-8 victory over Eastern Connecticut. "My fastball was moving a lot and my slider was better. I also mixed in a forkball and struck out the last batter with it."

Cooney decided to take an educated risk by switching from righthander JEFF VANDEROEF (8-1) as yesterday's starter to lefthander BRIAN CHESWICK (4-4), who was having a rough season with a 6.75 ERA. Vanderoef will pitch today.

"I talked it over with my assistant coaches last night (Thursday) and decided to take a chance on holding Vanderoef back," said Cooney. "If we lost this game, we would still have our No. 1pitcher to avoid elimination. If we won, then we would have the bonud of having him for our next game. I also knew that Cheswick wanted the ball and was 99 percent of my decision."

Cheswisk, who set a World Series record last year when he struck out 14 Wisconsin-Oshkosh batters, had not started a game in more than started a game in more than a month and did not pitch in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

The 6-4 senior mde Cooney's a gamble look good, pitching out of tight spots and lasting six and a third innings. He have up nine hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out two and walking two.