Box Score SEWELL, NJ - The 2023 season came to a close for the Northampton baseball team on a soggy Saturday afternoon in Sewell, NJ, as the 3rd seeded Spartans fell to 4th seeded Brookdale, 15-2, in the Region 19 Tournament semi-finals. 

In an elimination game for both teams, that was delayed multiple times due to rain, the 3rd seeded Spartans never were able to find their rhythm, falling behind 7-1 in the 5th before a lengthy delay, and then eventually falling 15-2 in the run-rule shortened contest. 

Jake Black (Bethlehem, PA/Elizabethtown) took the loss, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits over 2.2 innings of work.  Five other Northampton pitchers saw action in the contest, combining to pitch 4.1 innings, allowing 10 runs on 11 hits, walking 7 and striking out 3. 

The Spartans had 8 hits on the day, led by Jeffrey Sabater (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) and Jake Hendershot (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ)), who both finished 2 for 4, while Brandon Ratti (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) was 1 for 2 with a homerun and 2 runs scored. 

Sabater's 2 hits give him 144 for his career, surpassing Tyler Melko (142) for the all-time Northampton hit record. 

The Spartans, ranked 11th in the last NJCAA national poll, finish the season 32-15.

Brookdale, ranked 10th in the last NJCAA poll, improve to 35-15 and will now face top-seeded RCSJ-Gloucester, as they search for their first Region 19 title since 2009.