BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The 3rd ranked Northampton Baseball battled the elements and a pesky Bucks County Community College squad on Friday afternoon, earning an 11-6 rain-shortened victory at Spartan Park.
The Spartans jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after two innings, but found themselves trailing 5-4 entering the bottom half of the 4th.
Tommy Dunleavy (Bushkill, PA/East Stroudsburg North) led the charge in the bottom half of the 4th, as the Spartans plated 7 runs. highlighted by Dunleavy's 3-run homerun.
After a short rain delay,
Nick Klee (Reading, PA/Exeter) came on in relief of
Michael Perreault (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) to lock down the victory. Klee went 1 inning, allowing 1 run and 1 hit. Perreault picked up the win, improving to 3-0, with 4 innings of work, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits while striking out 2.
Dunleavy finished 2 for 3 with 3 RBI,
CJ Gantz (Moore Township, PA/Northampton ) was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored,
Brandon Ernst (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) went 2 for 2 with a RBI and
Jake DiCesare (Barto, PA/Boyertown) had a double and 4 RBI.
The Spartans outhit Bucks 9 to 7, but committed 3 errors, while the Centurions had 2 miscues.
Timothy Antigua (Northampton, PA/Northampton) had a triple and
CJ Peechatka (Henryville, PA/Pocono Mountain East) laced a triple and had a run batted in.
The Spartans are now 27-5 overall and 9-0 in Region XIX heading into their showdown on Saturday in Vineland, NJ vs. #1 Cumberland County College (32-1). Game time has been moved to 1pm.
Bucks falls to 9-20 with the loss.