Little Falls, NJ - Senior shortstop PJ Baccarella (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had three hits, homered and drove in two runs while TOMMY WARTH (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) had three RBI as Montclair State held off a furious late rally to defeat Ramapo College, 12-11, in New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball action at Yogi Berra Stadium on Monday afternoon.

ETHAN BOYD (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) added two hits and two RBI for the Red Hawks (13-7, 6-1 NJAC), who saw a 12-4 lead in the seventh inning nearly evaporate before holding on to win for the fourth straight time and seventh time in their last eight games. Aaron Eyler (Edison, NJ/Edison) had two hits and three RBI for the Roadrunners (13-7, 3-3 NJAC), who also got a home run and two RBI from Doug Aday (Dallas, TX/Ferris).

The Roadrunners cut the MSU lead to five after scoring three runs in the seventh and then plated four more in the eighth as Eyler singled home a run and Jon Lopez (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make the score 12-10. Jason Burgos (Landing, NJ/Landing) then drew a bases-loaded walk to bring the Roadrunners within one, however ALEX THOMPSON (Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park) came out of the pen to retire Doug Meier (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) on a ground out to end the inning and preserve the MSU lead.

Thompson then retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his third save of the season.

Right-hander SHAWN ELLERSON (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) picked up the win as he went six-plus innings allowing six runs (three earned) and four hits. Ellerson (1-2) struck out two and walked four in earning his first collegiate win. David Waseleski (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrenceville) took the loss (3-1).

Montclair State jumped out to a 7-0 lead after one as it sent 11 batters to the plate. Boyd, BRIAN BUTLER (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) each had RBI singles while Warth added a sacrifice fly. Ramapo answered with three runs in the second, but MSU responded with two runs in its half to take a 9-3 lead. After the teams traded runs in the third and fourth innings, the Red Hawks pushed the lead to 12-4 in the fifth on back-to-back home runs by Boyd and Baccarella.

MSU catcher ROB BLACKBURN (Sussex, NJ/Vernon) was 1-for-4 with two runs scored as he saw his consecutive streak of reaching base safely at 17. Blackburn, the NJAC Player of the Week, drew a walk in the first to extend his school-record streak, but flew out in second. Blackburn was 13-for-13 with four walks in the streak.