BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Northampton Softball team split a wild Region XIX doubleheader with Middlesex County College on Thursday, taking game one 18-17 and then falling in the nightcap 4-3.

In game one the Spartans had 19 hits to support the pitching of MacKenzie Caffrey (Easton, PA/Pleasant Valley ), who improved to 6-5 with the win.  Amanda Decker (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) was 3 for 4 with 5 RBI, Samantha Zeruth (Bangor, PA/Bangor) was was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and Bri Barr (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame - Green Pond), Kiley Kuchar (Bangor, PA/Bangor ), Amber Farnholtz (Northampton, PA /Northampton ) and Samantha Miller (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty ) each had two hits for the Spartans.  In the back and forth affair, the Spartans were able to push the winning run across in the bottom of the 6th inning to break a 17-17 tie to earn their 5th consecutive victory.

In game two, Middlesex scored 3 runs in the top of the 7th inning and then shut the Spartans down in the bottom of the 7th to salvage a split with a 4-3 come from behind victory.

Kiley Kuchar (Bangor, PA/Bangor ) slipped to 3-4 on the season, taking the loss while only giving up 7 hits and 4 earned runs. MacKenzie Caffrey (Easton, PA/Pleasant Valley ) was 2 for 3, Bri Barr (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame - Green Pond) was 2 for 3 and Taylor Domenech (Bangor, PA/Bangor) was 1 for 1 with a RBI as the Spartans only managed 7 hits in game two.

The split moves Northampton to 9-9 overall and 7-5 in Region XIX, while Middlesex is now 6-10 overall and 2-8 in Region XIX. 

Northampton faces a tough weekend, traveling to nationally-ranked RCGC on Saturday and then to nationally-ranked Brookdale on Sunday.