TOMS RIVER, NJ - The 14th ranked Northampton baseball team picked up a split in the first two games of their Region 19 series vs. Ocean County College on Wednesday, dropping game one 2-1 and rebounding to take game two 7-1.
GAME ONE - Lost 2-1
Despite out-hitting the Vikings 10-6, the Spartans dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to Ocean County College in game one of their series.
The Vikings got on the board in the 1st and 3rd innings, holding a 2-0 lead until the 7th when the Spartans were able to plate their lone run on a sacrifice fly from
Luke Spencer (Dallas, PA/Lake-Lehman), scoring
Gabe Caso (Califon, NJ/West Morris Central (NJ)).
Jake Black (Bethlehem, PA/Elizabethtown) took the loss despite a brilliant outing. Black went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits while striking out 7 and issuing just 1 free pass.
Josh Herman (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame Green Pond) finished 3 for 3,
Shane Fillman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) was 2 for 3 and Caso went 2 for 3 to lead the Spartan offense.
GAME TWO - Won 7-1
In game two,
Austin Beard (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) improved to 3-2 on the season, holding the Vikings to just 4 hits in the complete game victory. Beard went 7 innings, allowing just 1 run while striking out 4 and walking 3.
The Spartans got on the board first, scoring 2 runs in the 1st inning, as
Cole McGourty (Asbury, NJ/Voorhees (NJ)) and
Stephen McMillan (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks - South) each had a RBI.
Ocean cut the margin to 2-1 with a run in the 5th, but Northampton got 4 runs in the 6th to take a commanding 6-1 lead, as
Josh Herman (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame Green Pond),
Caleb Walker (Deposit, NY/Deposit Central (NY)),
Brody Hinkle (Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York) and
Jeffrey Sabater (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) each picked up a RBI.
The Spartans added an insurance tally in the 7th on a Herman sacrifice fly to make the final score, 7-1.
Jake Hendershot (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ)) went 2 for 4, Sabater was 2 for 4 with a run scored, a stolen base and 1 RBI and
Brody Hinkle (Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York) finished 1 for 3 with a double and 1 RBI.
The split puts Northampton at 23-13 overall and 9-11 in Region 19.
Ocean moves to 15-16 overall and 10-10 in Region play.
Northampton is back in action on Friday when they travel to Bergen Community College for game one of their Region 19 series.
Ocean and Northampton will play game three of their series on Monday in Bethlehem at 3:30pm.
