SCRANTON, Pa. - Despite pounding out 20 hits and scoring 15 runs, the Northampton Baseball team found themselves on the losing end of their 9-inning non-conference matchup with NJCAA Divsision II Lackawanna College on Thursday afternoon at Falcon Park, falling 19-15.
The Spartans jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 2.5 innings, but the Falcons plated 13 runs in the bottom of the 3rd and then held on over the final 6 innings as the Spartans tried to claw back. Lackawanna used 5 walks, 1 hit batter and 2 homeruns (including a grand slam) to power their big inning. "I don't remember ever scoring 15 runs and losing," remarked veteran Head Coach
Adrian Yaguez, "offensively I couldn't have asked these guys for any more ... we had one unbelievably bad inning, but the kids kept fighting, we just didn't have it on the mound today. We need to put it behind us and get ready for a really big four-game weekend."
CJ Gantz (Bath, PA/Northampton) led the offensive explosion, finishing 5 for 6, including a double and a triple with 3 runs scored and 4 RBI.
Tommy Dunleavy (Bushkill, PA/East Stroudsburg North) was 3 for 6 with 4 RBI,
Tyler Melko (Knoxville, PA/Cowanesque Valley) was 2 for 6 and
Christian Del Toro (Trujillo Alto, PR/Perkiomen School) was 2 for 4 with a stolen base.
The Spartans cut the margin from 14 to 4 to 14-13 after the the top of the 6th, but Lackawanna responded with 2 runs in the bottom half of the 6th to go back up by 3 at 16-13.
Corey Stouffer (Souderton, PA/North Penn),
Henry Peguero (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing) and
Mike Ferrara (Cresco, PA/Pocono Mt. East) each had 2 hits and a RBI for Northampton.
Trevor McGee (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) took the loss, going 2.1 innings, allowing 4 hits, 8 runs, walking 5 and striking out 3.
Zach Conley (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) put in 3.1 innings of work, allowing 6 hits, 8 runs and 5 walks, while striking out 2 batters and hitting 2 batters.
Drew Jackson (Berwyn, PA/Conestoga) finished up the final 2.1 innings, giving up 4 hits and 3 runs.
The loss drops Northampton to 21-11 overall while Lackawanna improves to 21-12.
The Spartans travel to Valley Forge Military College on Saturday for a non-conference doubleheader before returning home Sunday to host NJCAA Division I power Monroe College in a doubleheader.
