Little Falls, NJ – SCOTT ALLAN felt fine physically. And he just struck out the first batter in the bottom of the ninth inning. But he wouldn't be given the chance to finish the complete game.

Yet he wasn't being removed from the game. Instead, Allan was moved to left field, and reliever JIM WHALEN came on. To someone on the outside the Montclair State baseball program, it may have seemed like a strange move. But coach Norm Schoenig knew exactly what he was doing.

His move enable the Red Hawks to have all of their seniors on the field when the game ended. And for all that this class has accomplished, it had never been part of a victory in the final of the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament.

Unitl Sunday that is. A SEAN MORRISON two-run double keyed a four-run first inning and Montclair State cruised to a 10-2 victory over The College of New Jersey to win the NJAC tournament. The Red Hawks earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic regionals, to be held May 17-20 in Boyertown, Pa.

"I wanted to have every senior in the lineup that had contributed to the program," Schoenig said adding that Montclair had a 64-8 record in the NJAC regular season during the past four years.

"I don't know if you're going to see anybody do that again," Schoenig said. The Red Hawk have won three NJAC regular-season titles in the past four years, as well as the national title last season.

"I had no problem with Jim coming in," said Allan (5-0), who allowed nine hits and two runs, while striking out eight. "This class is great. I love playing with these guys."

Officially, Allan and the rest of the seniors have won two NJAC tournament titles. The other one occurred in 1998, when rain washed out the entire tournament and Montclair was declared the champion because it finished on top in the regular season. But that title certainly wasn't as satisfying as this one, especially coming after MSU's 0-2 performance in last season's tournament.

"When you go two-and-out, it plays on your mind a little," said junior shortstop BRIAN ELLERSON, who returned from a knee injury and went 7-for-14 in the tournament, including 3-for-5 Sunday.

The Red Hawks will enter this year's NCAA regionals on a much different note. MSU has won 16 of its last 17, with one regular-season game to play against Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday.

Sunday against TCNJ, CHRIS BARAN and NJAC Player of the Year CRAIG CONWAY hit consecutive doubles off Matthew Szustowicz (4-3) with one out in the top of the first to give the Red Hawks a 1-0 lead. Ellerson followed with a single, sending Conway to third. Conway then scored on the front end of a double steal.

After Allan flied out, Morrison ripped a two-run double down the right-field line, giving Allan a four-run cushion to work with.

"I think it relaxed Scotty," Ellerson said. "I think he needed that."

"I felt really strong," said Allan, who has experienced tightness in his back at times this season. Of course, pitching against the Lions may have had something to do with Allan's overall feeling, considering he pitched complete-game victories against TCNJ in both the 1999 NJAC tournament and the 2000 NCAA regional title game.

"Everybody told me they were due against me," Allan said. Apparently not, as the Lions managed only single runs in the third and seventh. Allan struck out Nick Stine on an 0-2 fastball in the seventh to strand two runners and preserve a 5-2 lead.

"He's been a big-game pitcher for us," Schoenig said.

On a team of big-game players.