BETHLEHEM, PA - The Northampton baseball team picked up a hard fought, 5-4, win over Ocean County College on Friday afternoon in game one of their Region 19 series at Spartan Park.

Patrick Kiefner (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) delivered the sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the 9th inning to score Kyle Stoner (Burlington Township (NJ)/Burlington Township (NJ)) with the game winning run for the Spartans.

Sophomore Juan Cruz (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) got the start on the mound and went 7 strong innings, scattering 8 hits and striking out 7 for a no-decision. Cruz left he game with the Spartans leading the Vikings, 4-3. Nate Unger (Allentown, PA/Parkland) picked up the win in relief, firing 2 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and striking out 2. Unger improves to (2-0) on the season.

"Good hard fought baseball game today," explained Spartans Head Coach Adrian Yaguez. "This came down to the wire and I was proud of how our kids hung in after losing the lead in the top of the 9th. We found a way to get on base in the bottom half of the inning and that set the stage for Patrick Kiefner (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) to come through with the clutch RBI to seal the win. Tomorrow will be just as much of a battle when we travel to Ocean to finish up the series with a doubleheader."

Trailing, 1-0, in the bottom of the 4th inning, Zack Schaedel (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) came through with a bloop RBI single to score Matthew Tankred (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh) and tie the score, 1-1. Tankred had singled to left field to start the inning, moving to second base on a wild pitch, later scoring on the RBI single by Schaedel. 

The Spartans took the lead, 2-1, in the fifth inning, when Drew Mulligan (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) doubled to right field and later scored on an RBI double by Matthew Tankred (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh). The Spartans were able to see their lead extend to, 4-2, after six innings, capitalizing on an RBI single by John Pushkar (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) and Aiden Pearson (Newtown Square, PA/Marple Newtown) scoring on a wild pitch.

Ocean struck back with a solo home run to cut the lead to, 4-3, and pushed a run across in the top of the 9th inning, making the score, 4-4, setting the stage for the Spartans in the bottom of the 9th.

Kyle Stoner (Burlington Township (NJ)/Burlington Township (NJ)) drew a walk to open the bottom half of the 9th inning and Matthew Tankred (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh) followed with an intentional walk, putting runners at first and second. Josh Brancy (Sparta. NJ/Sparta (NJ)) walked to load the bases with no outs. Patrick Kiefner (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) stepped to the plate and drove a deep fly ball to right field, scoring Stoner from third base, giving the Spartans the, 5-4, win over the Vikings.

Northampton improves to 15-9 overall and 9-4 in Region 19.

Ocean falls to 9-10 overall and 6-7 in the Region.

Games two and three are set for Saturday in Toms River, NJ, with first pitch scheduled for 12pm.