BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The 13th ranked Northampton baseball team used a walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat Middlesex College, 6-5, on Tuesday afternoon at Spartan Park in game one of their Region 19 three-game series.

Trailing 5-4 entering the 9th, the Spartans rallied for 2 runs, capped off by a Cole McGourty (Asbury, NJ/Voorhees (NJ)) line-drive single to right field, which scored Jeffrey Sabater (Lansdale, PA/North Penn), to give the Spartans the come-from-behind 6-5 victory. 

Austin Beard (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) earned the win in relief of Jake Black (Bethlehem, PA/Elizabethtown), working 3 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 3.  Black went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) on 10 hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. 

The Spartans had 12 hits on the day, led by Jake Hendershot (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ)), Shane Fillman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall), Cole McGourty (Asbury, NJ/Voorhees (NJ)), Josh Herman (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame Green Pond) and Gabe Caso (Califon, NJ/West Morris Central (NJ)), each with 2 hits.  Caso added 2 RBI, while Brandon Ratti (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) finished 1 for 3 with a RBI, 2 walks and a run scored. 

The win moves Northampton to 12-6 overall and 4-4 in Region 19.

Middlesex falls to 13-9 overall and 2-8 in Region play. 

The two teams are back at it on Wednesday with games two and three of the series in Edison, NJ.  The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 1pm.