San Diego, CA – Sophomore shortstop BRIAN ELLERSON drove in the final run during a four-run ninth inning as Montclair State held off University of California-San Diego, 7-6 at Triton Baseball Field on Friday afternoon.
Senior designated hitter GEORGE GALLAGHER belted a home run for the third straight game as the Red Hawks (1-1-1) picked up their first victory in the West Coast swing.

MSU trailed 4-3 heading into the top of the ninth before putting together its winning rally. Sophomore right fielder CHRIS BARAN led off with a single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Junior third baseman CRAIG CONWAY walked before Gallagher doubled scoring Baran to tie the game.

San Diego elected to walk FRANK FRANCIA loading the bases, but the move backfired as the Tritons committed an error allowing two runs to score giving the Red Hawks a 6-4 advantage. Sophomore shortstop BRIAN ELLERSON brought in the final run pulling off a successful squeeze.

The Tritons did not go away mounting a rally of its own. San Diego loaded the bases with no one out and a walk forced home a run making the score 7-5. Ellerson, who came on to pitch two batters prior, got a double play ball for two outs as a run scored pulling the hosts within 7-6. With the tying run 90 feet away, Ellerson got Tyler Sullivan to fly to right field to end the game.  

The Red Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Gallagher launched his third home run, a solo shot. The senior took a pitch before crushing the 1-0 offering over the left field fence. All three of Gallagher's home runs have come on his first swing this season.

San Diego answered with a Sullivan homer in the bottom of the second and added two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth for a 4-1 advantage.

Montclair cut that lead to a run in the eighth inning. SEAN MORRISON led off with a single and Ellerson walked. A ground out moved the runners up. Pinch-hitter SCOTT ALLAN drilled a two-run, opposite-field double to left-center field scoring two as MSU got within 4-3.

Junior right hander Steven Trongone (1-0) got the victory in relief with Ellerson notching his first save of the season. Senior righthander GREG BELSON went the first 7 2/3 innings allowing four hits and seven runs (two earned). Belson struck out six and walked three.

Josh Beaven (3-1) took the loss for UC-San Diego (8-2).

The meeting was the eighth between the schools with the Red Hawks taking a 4-3-1 lead in the series. That includes two meetings at the NCAA Division III World Series in 1987 (13-4 MSU win) and 1994 (10-4 San Diego victory).

Montclair State is back in action on Saturday, March 11 with a pair of games in the California Invitational. The Red Hawks will face Whittier College (CA) before taking on Wisconsin-LaCrosse.