NEW BRITAIN, CONN. ? Sophomore Nick Pulsonetti's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eleventh inning, pushed the Monmouth University baseball team into the championship game for a third straight year, with a 7-6 victory over No. 2 seed Sacred Heart, in the second round of the 2009 Northeast Conference Tournament, presented by Akadema, at New Britain Stadium.

In the bottom of the 11th frame, Brett Holland drew a one-out walk, and after three throw-overs, stole second base. With Holland at second, Ryan Terry struck out swinging but reached on a passed ball, which put runners at the corners with one out. With two on, Pulsonetti, who was 0-for-4 entering the at-bat, lifted the sac fly to left, to plate Holland with the game-winning run.

Senior reliever Tim Ballard (3-3), who worked the final scoreless frame for Monmouth, earned the win.

Monmouth, which had its lead-off batter reach safely in each of the first four innings, and seven of its first nine frames, had a base runner in each of its first 13 innings in the tournament. The Hawks, who have now collected double-digit hits in 32 games on the year, registered 13 hits in the contest.

Monmouth got on the scoreboard in the home half of the first inning when Chris Collazo's fielder's choice drove Holland in from third base. The Hawks, who opened the game with consecutive singles from Holland and Terry, took advantage of a pair of non-turned double plays by the Pioneer defense, and increased the lead to 2-0 on a wild pitch charged to Jared Balbach, which allowed Pulsonetti to cross home.

The Hawks notched a run in the third inning, as Holland started the frame with a double to left center, advanced to third on Terry's sac bunt, and crossed the plate for a 3-0 lead on Pulsonetti's sacrifice fly to the warning track in left center.

Consecutive singles by the freshman duo of David Jacob and Jamie Rosenkranz opened the fourth inning for the Hawks, before Bobby Dombrowski dropped down a bunt single towards third base to load the bases with no outs. Josh Boyd followed with an RBI groundout to push the Hawks ahead 4-0, and Holland's sacrifice bunt down the first base line, allowed Rosenkranz to scamper home for a 5-0 edge.

First-Team All-NEC pitcher Ryan Buch, who surrendered a lead-off walk to start the fifth, allowed Jeff Heppner to advance to second on a wild pitch. After a Paul Schmidt single, the Pioneers put runners on the corners with zero outs, before Mike Olszyk dropped in an RBI single to left, cutting the lead to 5-1. On the play, Holland cut down Olszyk at second base, trying to stretch his run-scoring single. With a runner at third, and one away, Buch rallied to retire the next two batters with a strikeout and groundout.

Sacred Heart had its first two batters reach in the top of the sixth, as a fielding error and an infield single started the frame for the Pioneers. With runners on first and second, Jeff Hanson delivered a run-scoring single through the right side, pulling the Pioneers within 5-2. With runners on the corners and no outs, Buch struck out Tyler Santos swinging, but surrendered a run on Heppner's fielder's choice groundout, which had the makings of an inning-ending double play, as SHU cut its deficit to 5-3.

Jacob opened the home half of the sixth with a double to the right field gap, and moved to third on Rosenkranz's deep fly out, but the Hawks stranded him 90-feet away, with consecutive strikeouts, Balbach's first two punchouts of the game.

A leadoff walk and a one-out double to dead center, put a pair of Pioneers in scoring position for SHU in the top of the seventh inning, before centerfielder Mike Drowne struck out looking at a curveball, and Phil Tantillo ended the frame with a swinging strikeout on high heat, Buch's seventh punchout of the game.

SHU posted three runs to take a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth, as a leadoff single from Jeff Hanson started the frame. After a fielder's choice groundout to the pitcher, Jeff Heppner laced a triple off the rightfield wall to pull the Pioneers within a run. With the infield playing in, the Hawks' third error of the game allowed the tying run to score from third on a miscue at first base.

A walk, coupled with a passed ball, put runners on the corners for the Pioneers as sophomore Nick McNamara entered the contest in relief of Buch, before pinch-hitter, Robert Griffith lifted a sacrifice fly to push SHU ahead 6-5.

MU hit leader Collazo sparked a rally for the Hawks in the bottom of the eighth with a single, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Paul Bottigliero's single to right put runners at the corners for the Blue and White with no out, before Jacob stepped in and delivered an RBI fielder's choice as Collazo slid in under the tag at home, tying the game at 6-6. In a tie ballgame, Monmouth stranded a pair of runners, as Olszyk retired the next three Hawk batters, including two strikeouts.

After McNamara retired the Pioneer side in order in the top of the ninth, Holland led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right, moved up to second on Terry's sac bunt, and after an intentional walk to Collazo, Monmouth stranded two more runners in the frame, as the game went to extra innings.

Steve Tedesco's double, just under the glove of a diving Matt McEndy in center in the top of the 11th inning, put a runner in scoring position with one out for the Pioneers, but reliever Tim Ballard induced a groundout and flyout to end the threat.

Buch, who struck out the side in the first inning, worked a season-high 7.1 frames, allowing three earned runs on eight hits, with seven strikeouts. McNamara tossed 2.2 scoreless frames for the Hawks.

Monmouth, which has won at least one game in 12 of its 13 overall NEC Tournament appearances, and won two games in nine visits, improves to 31-23 overall with the victory. This marks the Hawks' ninth championship game appearance as well.

Olszyk, a freshman, worked 3.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit, to suffer the loss. Balbach, an all-league pitcher for the Pioneers, worked 7.0 frames, allowing six runs on 12 hits, in a no-decision.

Holland was a catalyst for the Monmouth offense in the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4, with three runs scored, while Collazo, Jacob and Rosenkranz accounted for two hits each.

With the triumph, Monmouth, which advances to its ninth overall Championship Game, at 3:30 p.m. The Hawks will face the winner of #1 Wagner/ #2 Sacred Heart's elimination game, which will be played at noon.