Little Falls, NJ - Freshman pinch hitter ED KLOEPPING singled in a run to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, but No. 17 Eastern Connecticut State University (11-6 overall) tacked on a run in the top of the ninth and thenescaped a bases-loaded jam to gain a 2-1 NCAA Division III baseball win over host Montclair State University (5-7) today at Yogi Berra Stadium.

Freshman pitcher Joe Esposito picked up the win for the visiting Warriors, improving to 2-3 this year after allowing just two hits over 1.2 innings with four strikeouts.Sophomore JAIRO MENDEZ took the loss for MSU, falling to 2-4 after surrendering just two hits and one run in pitching the last three innings. ECSU starter Matt Cremins  left in the eighth inning with one out after striking out five hitters and allowing just three hits,two walks and one run. MSU freshman starter TIM STRINGER tossed the first six innings for the Red Hawks,fanning eight batters to go along with five hits, three walks and one run allowed.

ECSU senior outfielder Jason Pekrul scored the game's first run in the top of the third inning when he led off with a double to left center, took second on a single by junior infielder Zach Mehrbach, and then scored off an MSU double play. The score held up until the bottom of the eighth,when Montclair State 2B MARC DECASTRO singled through the right side, took second ona wild pitch, and then scored on Kloepping's single through the right side to tie the game. It was Kloepping's second pinch-hit RBI single in as many games.

The Warriors tallied the winning run in the top of the ninth as sophomore pinch-runner Eric O'Toole took over for junior pinch-hitter Ryan DiPietro, who had doubled with one out, with O'Toole then scoring on a double by senior shortstop Tom Koch, who went 2-for-4 on the day for ECSU.The host Red Hawks loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, on two walks and a DeCastro strikeout that was nullified by a wild pitch, but Esposito struck out Kloepping to end the game.

DeCastro finished 1-for-4 with a run for Montclair, which returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at 3:30p.m. at Yogi Berra Stadium. ECSU is slated to host Amherst (MA)College tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in Mansfield, CT.