Little Falls, NJ –  Junior catcher ANDREW VICARO  drove in four runs, including the game-winner with two-out in the bottom of the ninth inning, while brother Michael  pitched three scoreless innings in relief at second-seeded Montclair State edged No. 5 seed Rowan, 8-7, in the opening round of the 2006 New Jersey Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at Yogi Berra Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

BRIAN BUTLER  had three hits for the Red Hawks (23-13-2), who have won four straight and advance to Friday's (May 5) action where they will face No. 3 seed The College of New Jersey at 7:00 pm at Campbell's Field in Camden. TCNJ was a 7-6, 10-inning victory over fourth-seeded Kean in Ewing . The win marked the second consecutive game and third in the last four contests that Montclair won in its final at bat.          

 Frank Hasenauer had two hits and two RBI for Rowan (26-12), who will face top-seeded William Paterson in the first elimination game of the tournament at 11:00 am . WPU was upset by sixth-seeded Rutgers-Newark, 9-8 in Wayne .

In the bottom of the ninth, Butler doubled down the left field line that rolled into the Rowan bullpen where Hasenauer picked up the ball fired back toward the infield. The ball would clip the corner of the bullpen wall and skipped into the outfield allowing Butler to move to third. ROB BOWNESS  was intentionally walked, but reliever Kevin O'Hara  fanned the next hitter for the second out. ANDREW VICARO, who was 2-for-5, then drilled 1-1 pitch into left field brining home pinch runner THOMAS MEYER with the game-winning run.

The run made a winner out of brother Michael, who retired the final nine batters he faced after the first batter reached in the seventh on an error. Vicaro improved to 3-3, striking out two. Gary Winkler was the hard-luck loser despite an outstanding eight-inning relief effort in which he gave up two runs and six hits after the Profs fell behind 6-0 in the first. Winkler struck out six and walked three as he fell to 2-2.

 Montclair State exploded for its runs in the first inning as DANNY RODRIGUEZ  and Butler each singled with one out. Bowness then singled up the middle and Rodriguez made the turn for home. Centerfielder Jim Comprelli made a perfect throw to the plate to nail the runner, however Rodriguez  pulled off a flying head-first leap over catcher Bobby Fox  tagging the back edge of the plate while in the air for the first MSU run. ROBERT CLARK  would load the bases with a single and ANDREW VICARO cleared them with a three-run double to left field. LOU POLITAN added a single that chased starter Tyler Dempsey  and Winkler walked MARC DECASTRO to load the bases. KEVIN CUOZZI  lined a two-run single to give Montclair a 6-0 lead.

Rowan would answer with four runs in the second. Shawn Counard drove in a run with fielder's choice and Hasenauer singled through the left side for another run. Matt Enuco plated the final two runs with a single as the Profs clawed back into the game at 6-4.

Montclair would add a run in the second as Rodriguez walked and scored on a double play ball to give the Red Hawks a 7-4 lead. But Rowan would tie the game with three runs in the sixth off MSU starter NICK RECCHIA. Counard had a sacrifice fly and Tim Edmeads  made it a one-run game with an RBI single. Comprelli would bring home the tying run with a ground out.

lark and DeCastro each had two hits for MSU which collected 13 in the game. Edmeads was 2-for-4 for Rowan.