ATLANTIC CITY - The Atlantic City Surf defeated the Somerset Patriots 5-4 Thursday night at Bernie Robbins Stadium for its season-high eighth straight victory.

The victory, propelled by Gary Johnson's tie-breaking solo home run in the sixth inning off Somerset's Andy Pratt left the Surf's magic number to clinch the second half South Division pennant at five. Any combination of Surf victories and Camden losses totalling five will put the Surf in the Atlantic League playoff for the third straight time under manager Jeff Ball who took over the club in 2004.

Ben Grezlovski, 4-5, picked up the victory for Atlantic City in relief of starter Rob Corrado.

Raul Marval, Ozzie Timmons, Dario Delgado and Meliv Rosario also had RBIs for Atlantic City.

Nick Ortiz and Lou Lucca had two RBIs for Somerset.

The Surf won the reagular-season series against Somerset 10-8.

Atlantic City had led 4-2 after three but Somerset tied it at four with two runs in the top of the sixth. But Johnson answered right back for the Surf with a towering shot to left that just made inside the left field foul pole.

Atlantic City is now 32-21 in the second half; Somerset, the defending Atlantic League champions, fell to 25-30.

The surf now travel to Lancaster for a three-game series against the Barnstormers, a team the Surf would face in the first round of the playoffs should they make it.