LINCROFT, NJ - The Northampton baseball team used a strong pitching performance and a 20 hit and 19 run outburst to upend 10th ranked Brookdale Community College, 19-5, at the Jersey Blues Baseball Complex.

The Spartans and Jersey Blues opened their Region 19 three game series on Sunday in Bethlehem, with both teams splitting two hard fought games, setting the stage for the deciding game three on Monday afternoon in Lincroft, New Jersey.

Northampton, which again Received Votes in the NJCAA national weekly poll earlier in the day, set the tone early with 3 runs in the top of the first inning against the nationally ranked Jersey Blues. The Spartans struck first when Matthew Tankred (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh) delivered a bases loaded two out double down the right field line to clear the bags and put the Spartans on the board, 3-0.

Brookdale answered in the bottom of the second inning when Ryan Adams blasted a two out grand slam home run to give the Jersey Blues back the lead, 4-3.

The Spartans pushed 3 runs across the plate in the top of the 4th inning to climb back ahead, 6-4, and from that point forward, it was all Northampton. The Spartans scored 2 runs in the 6th inning, 3 in the 7th inning, 1 run in the 8th inning and broke the game wide open with 7 runs in the top of the 9th inning to put things out of reach.

"Proud of our team today," stated Spartans Head Coach Adrian Yaguez, "I felt we got another strong effort on the mound and we are starting to have quality at bats and playing good defense. The goal is always to protect the baseball and keep improving in those three areas and today we did what we needed to do to have a positive result. We will keep working."

The Spartans received another quality start from sophomore righty Gavin Panovec (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth), firing 7 innings and scattering 7 hits and striking out 5, improving to 2-1 on the season. Jayson Ehrhart (Phoenixville, PA/Spring-Ford) came on in relief and turned in 2 scoreless innings of work, allowing 1 hit and striking out 3.

Kyle Stoner (Burlington Township (NJ)/Burlington Township (NJ)) was 3-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI and Drew Mulligan (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) was 2-5 with a pair of doubles and 4 RBI to help pace the 20 hit attack for the Spartans.

Shane Henrick (Blue Bell, PA/Wissahickon) was 2-4 with a double and a stolen base along with 2 RBI and Josh Brancy (Sparta. NJ/Sparta (NJ)), Danny Qualteria (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown), Matthew Tankred (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh), Zack Schaedel (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) and John Pushkar (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) all had 2 hits apiece to aid the offensive outburst.

Northampton improves to 10-7 overall and 5-2 in Region 19.

Brookdale is now 10-5 overall and 5-4 in the Region.

The Spartans will be back in action on Thursday afternoon when they travel to Bucks County Community College for a non-conference match up at 3:30pm at the Centurion Baseball Facility.