Ithaca, NY – Junior designated hitter ROB BOWNESS led off the ninth inning with a homer and later added another run batted in as 30th-ranked Montclair State scored seven times in its final at bat to stun 15th-ranked Ithaca College at Freeman Field on Friday afternoon.

Reliever RAY ANDERSON allowed just one hit over the final three innings as the Red Hawks picked up a key victory in improving to 27-15-2 on the season. MSU is hoping to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The selection will be announced on Sunday.

The Red Hawks trailed 7-2 and were down to their last three outs when they rallied. Bowness led off the inning as he connected to the opposite field over the leftfield fence for his eight round-tripper of the season, trimming the Ithaca lead to four. Pinch-hitter SCOTT EVANGELIST singled and was replaced by pinch-runner THOMAS MEYER, who scored when LOU POLITAN slapped an RBI single bringing MSU within 7-4.

Pinch-hitter DANNY RODRIGUEZ would draw a walk to load the bases and ANDREW VICARO, who reached on an error, made it a two-run game as he scored on the second Ithaca miscue of the inning. After the second out, BRIAN BUTLER delivered a two-run single to tie the game at 7-all. Bowness then put the Red Hawks in front with an RBI single and the third error of the inning allowed MARC DECASTRO to score as Montclair State led 9-7.

In the bottom of the inning the Bombers put a runner on, however, Anderson (4-0) retired the final three hitters to preserve the win for Montclair State. Anderson struck out three in his relief stint.

Montclair State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third as DeCastro plated a run and MICHAEL NUNES scored on a balk.

Ithaca would come back with a run in the fourth and then took the 7-2 lead scoring six times in the sixth.

Bowness had three of the Red Hawks' nine hits in the game.

MSU will close out its regular-season on Saturday as they take on the Bombers at 1:00 pm