Appleton, WI – If Montclair State is going to win a second consecutive Division 3 national title, it's going to have to do it the hard way.

Montclair State suffered an 8-5 defeat to St. Thomas (MN) last night, forcing them to beat Salisbury State (Md.) at 1 p.m. today to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament.

St. Thomas (38-9) scored three runs in the fifth inning to break a 5-5 tie and escaped a possible trouble in the Montclair eighth to head into today as the double-elimination tournament's only unbeaten team.

"(Monday's) the only game we have to win right now," Montclair coach Norm Schoenig said after the loss. "I think with (Jeff) Gogal on the mound, I like our chances."
A victory over Salisbury (33-12) moves Montclair State (37-10) into the championship tomorrow.

Montclair State had a golden opportunity to slice into the thee-run deficit in the eighth, when they loaded the bases with two outs. But St. Thomas reliever Rob Huckins struck out pinch-hitter FRANK LONGO looking to escape the threat.

"It hurt obviously," Schoenig said of loading the bases and coming up empty.

Montclair State also put its leadoff runner aboard in the ninth, but St. Thomas made a pitching chance as SEAN MORRISON face a 3-1 count. Brian Whinnery then struck out Morrison looking for the first our and later struck out SCOTT ALLAN swinging to end the game.

The game slowed down considerably after the teams combined to score 10 run in the first four innings.

Montclair State started their scoring immediately, getting two runs in the top of the first.

Morrison drew a one-out walk and went to second when CRAIG CONWAY blooped a single to center. Allan then sent a double over the head of St. Thomas right fielder Tony Wolverton to score Morrison and move Conway to third. A CHRIS BARAN ground out to second scored Conway for the 2-0 lead.

St. Thomas came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, when they loaded the bases with one out against Allan. A groundout to the right side and Nate Sundberg's RBI single tied the game.
The teams traded two-run innings in the second too.

The Red Hawks took advantage of two St. Thomas errors, getting both of their runs on a DAVE WURST two-run double to left-center. SCOTT CLARK reached on one error, stole second base and went to third on the second error before scoring on Wurst's double.

St. Thomas took advantage of a wild Allan in their half of the second.

Two walks and a wild pitch loaded the bases with no outs before Allan uncorked a wild pitch to score one run.

Jake Maurer's sacrifice fly to center tied the game at 4-4. Run-scoring singles by Montclair's P.J. BACCARELLA and St. Thomas' Wolverton over the next two innings kept the game tied.

"We were hitting the ball well early, and maybe we should have had enough to win the game early," Schoenig said. "We didn't do a good enough job on the mound to keep going."
Montclair State needed three pitchers to get through the St. Thomas fifth, allowing three runs.

JOSH PINE started the inning, but two hits and a sacrifice put runners at second and third before he was pulled for JASON ARRE.

Arre got the second out on a fly to left, but right-hander Kevin Rakowski was brought in to face Kyle Olson, who walked to load the bases. Two hits and three runs later, St. Thomas held an 8-6 advantage.