BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Cumberland County College, ranked 2nd in the latest NJCAA national poll, used timely hitting and strong pitching to sweep Northampton in a battle of nationally-ranked teams on Saturday at Spartan Park, in a rematch of last year's Region XIX Championship game. 

GAME ONE - Lost 8-1
Starting pitcher Alex Super (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) kept the Dukes off the board for the first 3 innings, before they broke through with a run in the top of the 4th to take a 1-0 lead.  

It was still a 1-0 game in the top of the 6th when Cumberland exploded for 3 runs to take a 4-0 advantage and then they tacked on 4 insurance runs in the 7th. 

The Spartans were able to manufacture a run in the bottom of the 7th as CJ Gantz (Bath, PA/Northampton) singled, stole a base and scored to give Northampton its only run of the game. 

The Spartan bats never got on track, finishing with only 4 hits, one each by Gantz, Tyler Melko (Knoxville, PA/Cowanesque Valley), Derek Stento (New Milford, PA/Blue Ridge) and Henry Peguero (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing).

Super took the loss, going 6 innings, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), striking out 7 and walking 1. 

NIcholas Klee pitched the 7th, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits with 1 walk and 1 K. 



GAME TWO - Lost 9-3
Cumberland came out of the gate swinging in game two, knocking starter Zach Conley (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) out the game after just 1.1 innings of work.

The Dukes scored 3 runs in the top half of the first, but the Spartans responded as CJ Peechatka (Henryville, PA/Pocono Mt. East ) and Christian Del Toro (Trujillo Alto, PR/Perkiomen School) each had a RBI to cut the Cumberland lead to 3-2.

The Dukes tacked on a run in the top of the 2nd to chase Conley, who allowed 4 runs on 4 hits and walked 3 in falling to 2-3 on the season. 

Andrew Corso (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) came on in relief, finishing with 5.2 innings of work, allowing 8 hits and 5 runs while fanning 2 and walking 2. 

The Dukes added a run in the 3rd, 2 in the 4th, 1 in the 5th and 1 in the 6th to take a 9-2 lead, before the Spartans answered with a run in the bottom half of the 6th to cut the margin to 9-3. 

Peechatka finished 3 for 4 with a double, triple and RBI, Del Toro was 2 for 4 with a RBI, while Derek Stento (New Milford, PA/Blue Ridge), Henry Peguero (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing) and Cody Brown (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock) each added a hit.

The Spartans finished with 3 runs on 10 hits and committed 3 errors, while Cumberland scored 9 runs on 11 hits and committed just one error. 

Northampton falls to 19-10 overall and 3-3 in Region XIX with the two losses, while Cumberland improves to 26-7 overall and 16-4 in Region XIX. 

The Spartans hit the road on Monday for a non-conference match-up vs. Rowan College @ Burlington County.