Battle Creek, MI - Three hours before game time at C.O. Brown Stadium, junior pitcher DREW YOCUM said that he didn't want to wait any longer, that he was ready to pitch. He then took the mound three hours later and proved he was ready to pitch no matter what time it was.

Yocum, now 8-0 this season, kept Carthage College of Wisconsin off blance all day long in pitching his first complete-game of the year, and senior JOE CRITELLI blasted a 2-0 pitch 400-feet over the right-center field wall for a home run in the third, as Montclair flicked away a late Redmen rally for a 5-1 victory in Game 3 of the 1993 NCAA Division III College World Series on Friday afternoon.

Yocum, who had retired 15 batters in a row entering the nine inning, got into his only jam of the game as Carthage led off with back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. After a trip to the mound, head coach Norm Schoenig kept Yocum in there, and the left induced the Redmen's leading hitter Ken Atkins into a 4-6-3 double play for a run and two outs. Yocum then popped up the No. 4 hitter and the game was over.

"Drew was simply outstanding today," said Schoenig. "He set the tone right way in the first inning getting ahead of the hitters, and giving us a chance to swing the bats."

Yocum, in throwing the third complete-game of his career, said "I felt good today, all day. Our hitters came out ripping early, so I just wanted Carthage to put the ball in play and let my defense do the work."

Offensively, Montclair got it going right away when leadoff batter ROB DILAURENZIO doubled to right-center, moved to third on a sacrifice by Critelli and scored on a sacrifice fly by designated hitter JOHN PALLINO. Pallino may receive the guts-and-glory award of the tourrnament so far as he played for the first time since running into a cement post in left field during the third game of last week's regional tournament in Quakertown, PA. It was first said that he would not play this weekend with a severely bruised right leg and hip, however, the junior was the DH this afternoon, playing in visible pain and going 0-for-3 with an RBI.

Critelli then blasted a 2-0 pitch in the third to plate TONY MARTINEZ, who had singled with one out. Critelli finished 1-2 with two RBI, while Martinez was 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the fifth. MSC's RALPH YEZZA padded the lead in the botttom of the eighth with an RBI single, scoring Martinez again.

"Throwing a lefty, (Carthage starter was 9-2 with 70 Ks in 77 innings) I knew he was trying to keep the ball away from righthanders, so I went with the pitch," said Critelli of his fifth home run and first in 17 games.

"Winning this first game is key," added Martinez. You don't win Game 1, you might as well pack your bags and go home."

Montclair State, winners of five in a row,  will face the winner of the North Carolina Wesleyan-Anderson games later this evening.