Montclair State University got a combined three-hit shutout to beat Emory University 5-0 Saturday in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships at Fox Cities Stadium.

Montclair (38-7-1) advances to play Allegheny College or Wartburg College at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Emory, which was making its first appearance, was eliminated and finished the season 33-16.

"We've had our backs up against the wall a number of times, but they've got a great deal of resiliency," Montclair head coach Norm Schoenig said. "They're outstanding kids. I think the consistency of a tough schedule, day in and day out, allows you to relax in pressure situations. When people say there's no pressure in baseball, they're kidding themselves."

Scott Allan and Cory Hamman (7-3) combined to shut down the Eagles, who hadn't been limited to less than four hits all season. It was also the first time this season Emory had been shut out. 

"Whenever you lose and whenever you don't score any runs, obviously things don't go right," Emory head coach Mike Twardoski said. "In the beginning of the game, it was my fault. I tried to get things happening that probably I shouldn't have. We do a lot of first moves with the lefthander and he was picking our guys off. I was tyring to make thing happen when maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe I should have let it come to us."
Allan started the game but was forced to leave in the top of the fourth inning with a blister on his pitching hand after allowing two hits. Hamman picked right up where Allan left off. Hamman allowed just one hit, struck out four and walked two in six innings.

"(Assistant) coach (Dennis) Morgan had said that if (Allan) had gotten in trouble, he wanted me to go in. He didn't think I was going to be throwing six innings, he just thought I would maybe throw a couple of innings and then come back tomorrow," Hamman said.

"I was just sitting on the bench and they just told me to get up and start throwing. I guess, in my mind, I didn't have any time to think about it, I just had to go out and do it."

The Red Hawks, who broke the school record for victories in a season with their 38th win, got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Second baseman Dave Wurst singled to left field to start the inning. Frank Longo followed with a double to left field to score Wurst and give the Red Hawks a 1-0 lead.

Emory threatened in the top of the fourth after Kyle Foster doubled and Todd Rasmussen was hit by a pitch. That's when the blister forced Allan to leave the game. Hamman came in and got Ted Karniewicz and Allen Rigell to both hit into a fielder's choice. The Eagles then tried a double steal and Montclair first baseman Frank Francia cut down Rasmussen at the plate to end the inning.

Montclair made it 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Francia singled, moved to second on a bunt and scored on Marc Houser's single to left field.

The Eagles had one last scoring opportunity in the eighth inning. After a hit batsman and walk put runners at first and second with one out, Tommy Lee grounded up the middle. What looked like a sure base hit was cut off by Wurst, who dived on the ball and flipped to second base to get the force out. Foster then grounded out to end the threat.

"A ball like that going through the middle, as any infielder will probably tell you, you just dive and try to knock it down and just try to keep it in the infield so you can save a run," Wurst said. "I was just fortunate enough to get to it and flip it to Brian (Ellerson) and he stepped on second base. I'm not going to say it totally changed the game, but it switched momentum for us."

Montclair put the game out of reach with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Red Hawks had five hits in the inning, including a run-scoring single by Craig Conway and a two-run double by George Gallagher.  

"It's always a good sign when you're starting to get your momentum back, and you start swinging the bats well," Conway said. "We've been doing that all year. We've been getting guys on base. I'll come up and get a hit and Gallagher will follow with a hit, and it keeps rolling through the lineup like that. We still have confidence in everybody that they're going to hit. I think we'll be all right."

Ryan Donegan (9-3) took the loss for Emory. He pitched 7 2-3 innings, allowed seven hits and two walks and struck out three.