Montclair, NJ – Pinch-runner Geraldo Rodriguez scampered home on a wild pitch in the top of the 10^th inning as Lehman College slipped past Montclair State, 10-9 at Yogi Berra Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Second baseman Julius Puryear went 3-for-6 with a pair of RBI as the Lightning (13-14) earned a split of their two games with the Red Hawks. Lehman fell to MSU 6-4 eight days ago at the same
venue.

Junior leftfielder NICK MARTINEZ was 4-for-6 and belted a three-run homer for Montclair State (16-13), which has dropped five straight.

An early offensive outburst turned into zeros on the scoreboard in the latter innings. The Red Hawks tied the game at 9-9 in the eight and had opportunities to take the lead both in that inning and the ninth but couldn't come up with the go-ahead run.

Lehman grabbed the lead in the top of the 10^th as Euriel Murray hit one back up the middle that hit pitcher SEAN LEWANDOSKI, whose errant throw on the attempt at first base got away allowing Murray to go to second. Rodriguez came in to pinch run and went to third on a base hit by Rob Kiernan. Lewandoski fanned the next hitter for the second out but uncorked a pitch in the dirt allowing Rodriguez to come home giving the Lightning the 10-9 lead.

Reliever Rich Frommelt came on in the bottom of the inning and retired the side in order, striking out the last two hitters for his third save of the season. Lefthander Jarret Oehler (4-4) got the victory going five innings in relief allowing four hits and a run with seven strikeouts while working around six walks. Lewandoski (0-1) suffered the loss in hits four-inning relief stint. The lefty allowed three hits and an unearned run with three strikeouts.

Lehman scored twice in the top of the first inning however the Red Hawks countered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. ANDREW OLLWERTHER singled home the first run and KYLE MISSRY tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI double. BRODY LABBE gave MSU the lead with a fielder's choice and JUSTIN EPIFANIO plated the final two runs with a base hit for a 5-2 lead.

The Lightning scored once in the third and tacked on four more in the fourth for a 7-5 lead. Montclair State regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on one swing of the bat by Martinez, who crushed a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer.

The lead would not last long as Lehman scored twice in the top of the fifth. Kiernan tied the game on a ground out and the Lightning moved in front on a bizarre play. MSU's AUSTIN MINTON struck out what should have been the final batter of the inning. The ball hit the dirt and the throw down to first went off the mark allowing Namir Garcia to score for a 9-8 Lehman lead.

Montclair tied the game in the bottom of the eighth. Martinez led off with a hustle-double along the right field line and went to third on a wild pitch. Two walks sandwiched around a strikeout loaded the bases for MSU. CHRIS ROTH singled to left scoring Martinez for a 9-9 deadlock. But the Red Hawks couldn't plate any more as Oheler fanned the next two hitters to end the inning.

The Red Hawks would get a chance to win the game in the ninth loading the bases with one out but again Oehler came through with a foul pop up and ground ball to first sending the game to extra innings.

Ollwerther had two hits for MSU.

Montclair is back in action on Thursday, April 19 with a road contest at the Thomas M. Gerrity Complex in Jersey City, NJ against New Jersey City University beginning at 3:30 pm.