Jersey City, NJ - Montclair State University, the co-leader in the New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball standings, scored eight times in the eighth inning while sending 13 batters to the plate, and spoiled New Jersey City University's upset bid, by posting a 10-5 come-from-behind win over NJCU, in a league game played at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.

MSU won despite stranding 14 runners on base.The win for Montclair (18-12-2, 10-4) snaps a two-game losing streak and allows the Red Hawks to keep pace with William Paterson University, winners over The College of New Jersey on Thursday, for first place in the NJAC. The loss for NJCU (15-22, 2-13) is the fourth straight for the Gothic Knights.

Four players had multiple hits for MSU which tallied 11 overall. Junior catcher ANDREW VICARO posted three RBIs and one run in a 1-for-4 showing. Senior centerfielder BRIAN BUTLER was 2-for-5 with two runs, two RBIs, and his 10th double of the season. Junior designated hitter ROB BOWNESS was 2-for-6 with two RBIs and one run, including a double and triple.

Also for MSU, senior second baseman MARC DECASTRO was 2-for-3 with two walks and one run, and senior third baseman DANNY RODRIGUEZ  was 2-for-6 with one RBI and one run.

Sophomore leftfielder ROBERT CLARK was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and three hit by pitches. Clark tied an MSU single-game record by being plunked three times, and also a single-inning record when he was hit twice in the eighth inning.

NJCU collected six hits overall, paced by junior first baseman Javan Camacho, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.NJCU received a brilliant performance by junior right-hander Milton Rodriguez , who limited MSU to two runs over the first seven innings. He took a no decision after running into trouble in the eighth. In 7.0 innings, he allowed five runs and seven hits, with seven walks and two strikeouts over 137 total pitches.

MSU sophomore TIM STRINGER received a no-decision in his starting role. In 5.1 innings, he allowed only two earned runs (three total) and three hits, with seven strikeouts and five walks over 96 pitches, and left trailing 3-2.Sophomore left-hander ENRIQUE GOMEZ earned the victory in relief to improve to 2-0 overall. Despite allowing two runs (one earned) and three hits in 1.2 innings that saw NJCU extend its lead to 5-2, he was the benefactor of MSU's big eighth inning. Freshman right-hander CHRIS SCHINDLER and sophomore righty MARTY CABALAR combined to allow just one NJCU base-runner over the final two innings.

NJCU junior righty Rob Motacki  faced only one batter in relief in the eighth inning, but took the hard-luck loss (1-5) after Clark, who was hit by a pitch, later came in to score the sixth run. Freshman right-hander Jordan Lovell  allowed just one base-runner in 1.2 innings of near-flawless relief, with one strikeout.

MSU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Bowness lifted an RBI triple to center. NJCU answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning for a 3-1 lead. A sacrifice fly by sophomore outfielder Rob Sumner  tied it, before an RBI single by freshman shortstop Rob DelFino  put NJCU in front, 2-1. The Knights added a third run on an error. DelFino later tried to advance on a wild pitch, and would have scored if not for a diving tag by Vicaro, who had a sac fly of his own in the fifth, to close the gap to 3-2. Camacho had an RBI double in the sixth, and came in with NJCU's fifth run on a throwing error, as the Knights led 5-2.

MSU left the bases loaded in the sixth as Milton Rodriguez pitched out of a jam.In the eighth, MSU received an RBI single by DANNY RODRIGUEZ and two-run double by Butler to tie the game, before an RBI double by Bowness gave the Hawks the lead for good. A two-run single by Vicaro gave MSU an 8-5 cushion, before the visitors added two more runs to pad the lead.

NJCU will return to action on Friday, April 28 at 3:30 p.m. with an NJAC game against Kean University in Union, NJ. MSU will host Rutgers-Newark in Little Falls, NJ at the same time.