TOMS RIVER, NJ - The 15th ranked Northampton baseball team split their doubleheader with Ocean County College on Saturday afternoon, falling in game one, 5-4, and rebounding to take game two, 9-2, to win the Region 19 series, 2-1.
GAME ONE - Lost 5-4
The Spartans jumped on the board in the top of the first inning when
Josh Brancy (Sparta. NJ/Sparta (NJ)) laced a double down the right field line to score
Drew Mulligan (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) and
Kyle Stoner (Burlington Township (NJ)/Burlington Township (NJ)) and grab a quick, 2-0, lead over the Vikings.
Ocean answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the first and pushed four runs across the plate in the bottom of the second inning to take over the lead, 5-2.
In the top of the third inning,
Aiden Pearson (Newtown Square, PA/Marple Newtown) singled to center field to score
Kyle Stoner (Burlington Township (NJ)/Burlington Township (NJ)) and
Josh Brancy (Sparta. NJ/Sparta (NJ)) and cut the Vikings lead to, 5-4.
That would be it for both teams the rest of the way as Ocean pulled out the game one win over the Spartans.
Gavin Panovec (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) took the loss on the mound, scattering 6 hits and only 1 earned run, while striking out 9.
Brad Rissmiller (Nazareth, PA/Pen Argyl) pitched a scoreless inning in relief with two strikeouts.
Josh Brancy (Sparta. NJ/Sparta (NJ)) was 4-4 with a double and a stolen base and 2 RBI.
Aiden Pearson (Newtown Square, PA/Marple Newtown) was 1-2 with 2 RBI.
The Spartans outhit the Vikings but committed three errors that led to 4 unearned runs in the loss.
GAME TWO - Won 9-2
Carver Perrone (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) (2-0) turned in a complete game effort on the mound, allowing 5 hits and striking out 5, to lead the Spartans in the game two, 9-2, win over the Vikings.
The Spartans scored 2 runs in the top of the first inning, and 2 more runs in the top of the second inning, for the early, 4-0, lead. Ocean scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the lead to , 4-2. Northampton answered with 1 run in the top of the sixth inning and 4 more in the top of the seventh inning to extend the lead to, 9-2, and put the game out of reach.
Matthew Tankred (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh) was 1-2 with 1 run scored and 2 RBI and
Zack Schaedel (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) was 2-4 with 2 runs scored.
Danny Qualteria (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) was 1-2 with 2 RBI and a stolen base.
The Spartans take the Region 19 series over the Vikings, 2-1.
Northampton improves to 16-10 overall and 10-5 in Region 19.
Ocean slips to 10-11 overall and 7-8 in the Region.
The Spartans are back on the field on Monday for a non-conference match-up when they travel to Randolph, NJ to take on NJCAA DII opponent County College of Morris at 3:30pm at the Titans Baseball Complex.
