BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The 7th ranked Northampton Baseball team got back in the win column on Thursday, downing NJCAA Division II Mercer County Community College, 7-6, at Spartan Park. 

The Spartans struck early as Jeffrey Sabater (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) walked and stole second and then scored on Ryan Santangelo's (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) 10th homerun of the season, giving Northampton a 2-0 lead after the 1st inning. 

Mercer tied the game at 3-3 after the top of the 5th, but the Spartans responded with 3 runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by a Jake Hendershot (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ)) triple, which scored Santangelo.

The Spartans added an insurance run in the 7th as Michael Wambold (Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg (NJ)) walked, took second on a walk to Jeffrey Sabater (Lansdale, PA/North Penn), stole third and then stole home on a passed ball to give Northampton a 7-3 advantage after 6 full innings. 

Mercer added 2 runs in the 8th and 1 in the 9th before Tyler Sharayko (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown Area) closed the door in relief of starter Ryan Gordon (New Cumberland, PA/Red Land), getting the Vikings to hit into two consecutive ground outs with bases loaded to secure the win. 

Starter Ryan Gordon (New Cumberland, PA/Red Land) went 8.1 innings, allowing 6 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits, with 5 strikeouts, improving to 4-1 on the season.

Santangelo finished 1 for 4 with 2 RBI and Sabater was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. 

Northampton improves to 28-7 overall with the win, while Mercer falls to 23-15. 

The Spartans host Division II Raritan Valley Community College on Saturday in a doubleheader, first pitch is scheduled for 12pm.