PARAMUS, NJ - The 14th ranked Northampton baseball team rallied for 4 runs in the 9th inning to down Bergen Community College, 5-3, in game one of their Region 19 series on Friday afternoon at the Dawg House.

The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the 1st and then added a run in the 4th to increase their advantage to 2-0. 

Northampton got on the board in the 6th as Jake Hendershot (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ)) singled, moved to 3rd on a double from Shane Fillman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Cole McGourty (Asbury, NJ/Voorhees (NJ)), cutting their deficit to 2-1.

Bergen answered in the 7th with a run, to increase their lead back to two, at 3-1. 

After a scoreless 8th, the Spartans set the stage for their 9th inning rally. 

Josh Herman (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame Green Pond) led off the inning with a double, followed by a walk from Caleb Walker (Deposit, NY/Deposit Central (NY)) and then single off a drag bunt from Brandon Ratti (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley), to load the bases with no outs.  Jeffrey Sabater (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) was then hit by a pitch, scoring Herman to make the score 3-2.  Jake Hendershot (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ)) then lined a RBI single, which scored Walker, tying the contest at 3-3.  Shane Fillman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Ratti, to give the Spartans their first lead at 4-3.  Hendershot then scored on a passed ball, giving Northampton a 5-3 lead.

Reliever Ashton Johnson (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) shut the door in the bottom of the 9th, and the Spartans earned a much-needed Game One victory.  Johnson earned the win, going 5 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 6 and walking none.  Ryan Gordon (New Cumberland, PA/Red Land) threw the first 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, striking out 7 and walking 5. 

Hendershot finished 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a RBI, Josh Herman (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame Green Pond) was 3 for 4 and Shane Fillman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) added 2 hits, including a double. 

The win moves Northampton to 24-13 overall and 10-11 in Region 19. 

Bergen falls to 17-22 overall and 6-17 in Region play.

The two teams will be back at it on Saturday in Bethlehem for games two and three, starting at noon.