EDISON, NJ - The Northampton baseball team let a late lead slip away then came up just short with a spirited 9th inning rally, falling to Middlesex College, 10-8, on Wednesday afternoon at the Colts Baseball Complex.

The midweek Region 19 two-game series match up between the two nationally ranked teams ends in a split, with the #14 Spartans taking game one on Tuesday afternoon, 14-7, and the 12th ranked Middlesex College Colts slipping past the Spartans on Wednesday, 10-8.

"Good games yesterday and today and a tough short series," explained Spartans Head Coach Adrian Yaguez, "I felt we let one slip away today but give Middlesex credit for hanging in and getting the win. We had a late lead and couldn't hold and then battled back with 5 runs in the 9th inning and fell just short. Not the result we wanted but I still feel we are in a good spot as we get into the final two weeks of the regular season."

Spartan starter Carver Perrone (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) pitched 7 innings, scattering 4 hits and allowed only 1 earned run, for the no decision. Perrone held the Colts scoreless for the first six innings before the Colts were able to break through and take a, 2-0, in the bottom of the 7th inning.

Trailing, 2-0, in the top of the 8th inning, Aiden Pearson (Newtown Square, PA/Marple Newtown) singled to start the inning and Sam Erschen (Northampton, PA/Northampton) followed with a base hit to advance Pearson to third base. Erschen moved to second base on a wild pitch, setting the stage for Max Landis (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty), who delivered with a 2 run double to right center to score both Pearson and Erschen and tie the score at, 2-2. Drew Mulligan (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) followed with an RBI single to centerfield to score Landis and give the Spartans the lead, 3-2.

The Colts answered with 8 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning, only three of those runs being earned runs, jumping ahead, 10-3, and seemingly putting the game out of reach.

The Spartans were able to push 5 runs across in the top of the 9th inning and cut the Colts lead to, 10-8. The Spartans left two runners on base as the game ended with a strikeout, cutting short the Spartans rally, and securing the win for the Colts.

Gavin Panovec (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) suffered the loss for the Spartans in relief. Ben Moretz (Allentown, PA/William Allen) also came on to pitch in the 8th inning to help minimize the Colts rally.

Aiden Pearson (Newtown Square, PA/Marple Newtown) was 3-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI and Max Landis (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) was 1-3 with 2 runs scored and a 2 run double for the Spartans. Joey Richards (Bath, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) was 1-4 with a double and Josh Brancy (Sparta. NJ/Sparta (NJ)) and Drew Mulligan (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) both had 2 RBI in the loss.

The Spartans are back in action on Friday when they travel to Paramus, NJ to open their Region 19 series with Bergen Community College at 3:30pm at the Bulldogs Baseball Complex.