Abilene, TX (3/12/03) - Chuy Rodriguez delivered a one out single to the right centerfield gap to cap a four run rally in the bottom of the seventh as Hardin-Simmons defeated Montclair State 9-8 Wednesday evening.

Rodriguez was 2-4 with a two run homerun and three RBI for Hardin-Simmons (7-6). JOE GIACOMIAZZIO (E. Brunswick, NJ/E. Brunswick) had three hits for the Red Hawks, who fell to 2-4 overall.

Montclair jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. Giacomiazzio singled home BRIAN BUTLER (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo Regional) in the top of the first inning and PJ Baccarella (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) lofted a two run homerun, his second of the year, in the top of the second, for the early advantage.

Hardin-Simmons then battled back in the bottom of the third with back-to-back homeruns to take a 5-3 lead.

Leftfielder TOMMY WARTH (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) then broke a 5-5 tie in the top of the fifth with his first homerun of the 2003 season, a two run blast.

Montclair State headed into the bottom of the seventh with an 8-5 lead, however Hardin-Simmons then rallied for four runs, a two RBI single from pinch-hitter Brady Cook, an RBI single from centerfielder Brandon Beene and the game winning RBI single from Rodriguez to defeat the Red Hawks 9-8.

ALEX THOMPSON (Whippany, NJ/Whippany) suffered the loss for Montclair. Thompson (0-2) allowed all four runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief.