MANSFIELD, Conn. – All-New England senior first baseman Joe Balowski (Berlin) broke out of a 3-for-36 slump with two hits – including the game-ending two-out RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning – to boost the No. 23 Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team to a 9-8 victory over Montclair State University Tuesday afternoon at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

Balowski's game-winning hit – which followed a two-out double by senior centerfielder Mike Riemer (Ellington) --  capped a late surge by Eastern (13-5-1) as the Warriors scored three runs in the eighth to tie the game at 6-all, and a two-run rally in the ninth which forced extra innings.

It marked the seventh time in the last nine meetings between these nationally-competitive rivals that the game was decided by two or less runs. The two teams have combined for six national titles.

Montclair (9-6) had knocked out Eastern sophomore starter Brent Pelella (Southbury) in a five-run sixth inning  to move out to a 6-3 lead, collecting three hits and three walks and aided by an Eastern error, but the Warriors tied the game in the eighth by scoring three runs after there were two out and none on. Two walks got the inning going, and sophomore leadoff hitter Joe Perez (North Branford) doubled in two runs and later scored on a double steal.

Cleanup hitter Stephen Nappe's leadoff home run in the ninth gave Montclair a 7-6 lead, and a walk, sacrifice bunt, two infield errors and a passed ball gave the Red Hawks a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Eastern tied the game for the second time on a leadoff walk, run-scoring triple by junior Gavin Lavallee (New Milford) and sophomore Cory DeMedeiros' (Fall River, MA) pinch, game-tying single.

Josh Manto – the sixth of seven Montclair pitchers – retired the first two batters he faced to start the tenth, but Riemer lashed his third hit of the game – a double to left-center on an 0-2 pitch. Balowski, who had driven in Eastern's first run of the game in the second, then pulled a single down the right field line to send home Riemer with the winning run.

Perez and Riemer each had three hits in Eastern's 14-hit attack, with junior third baseman Mike Vaccarelli (Wolcott), Balowski and Lavallee all contributing two. Riemer reached four times and scored three runs.

Michael Rizzo, Montclair's No. 3 hitter, drove in the final two runs of the Red Hawk's five-run sixth with a two-out single.  Cody Pace reached five times with an RBI single, three walks and a hit-by-pitch, but did not score a run. Louis Martini was the only Montclair batter with more than one hit. He had two singles and walked.

Eastern hosts Salve Regina University Thursday at 4 p.m