BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Northampton Baseball team opened the postseason with an 8-0 victory over Luzerne County Community College on Sunday afternoon at Spartan Field. 

The 2nd seeded Spartans jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 2 innings as Zane Vargason (Milan, PA/Athens) laced a RBI single to score Tyler Melko (Knoxville, PA/Cowanesque Valley) and Michael Ferrara (Cresco, PA/Pocono Mt. East) scored on a wild pitch.  The Spartans added 5 runs in the 5th, highlighted by 2-run single from Colton Hooker (Warrington, PA/Upper Moreland) and a 2-run single from Christian Del Toro (Trujillo Alto, PR/Perkiomen School ). 

Vargason (2 for 3) sealed the victory in the 7th with a walk-off single, scoring Del Toro (1 for 3, 2 RBI, 2 stolen bases) for the run-rule victory.  

Angel Lopez (Santurce, PR/Perkiomen School) finished 1 for 3 with a RBI and Michael Ferrara (Cresco, PA/Pocono Mt. East) was 1 for 3 with a stolen base to lead the Spartans.

Tyler Forbes (Athens, PA/Athens) earned the win, going 6 innings, allowing no runs on 2 hits while striking out 11.  Zach Conley (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) came on in relief and threw one inning, allowing no runs, no hits and striking out one. 

The nationally-ranked Spartans improve to 31-5 overall and now will face the Trailblazers (14-14) again on Monday in the second game of their best of three series, with game time set for noon.  

The winner of the series advances to the Region XIX Final Four at Cumberland on May 19-22. 

Luzerne, the #10 seed, advanced to the best of three series with an upset win over 7th seeded Ocean County College, 7-5, in a play-in game at Northampton on Sunday morning.