Harford Community College baseball sweeps Montgomery, notches win number 20

The Harford Community College baseball team reached the 20-win mark Tuesday, sweeping a doubleheader against the visiting Montgomery College Raptors.

The Fighting Owls, 20-7 overall and 16-4 in MD JUCO, won game one big, 19-3, and then held on to gain the sweep with a 10-8 win in the nightcap.

In game one, Harford took an early 4-0 lead after a pair of RBI singles and a two-RBI ground-rule double from Jack Flanagan.

After Montgomery pushed across one run in the second, Harford went for a baker’s dozen in the bottom of the inning, scoring 13 times and taking a commanding 17-1 lead.

Montgomery burned through four different pitchers just to get three outs, while Harford picked up its 13 runs on six hits, six walks and two hit batsmen.

Harford relievers Zane Grimes (1.1 IP) and Austin Rohlfing (Bel Air, 1 IP) silenced the Raptors in relief, combining to strike out five over 2 1/3 innings of no-hit ball.

A quartet of Fighting Owls, Flanagan (4 RBIs); Hunter Blair (3 RBIs); Tyler Blittersdorf (John Carroll); and Mason Hicks, collected two hits each.

Ajay Sczepkowski tallied one hit and three RBIs.

Caleb Musco (1-0) struck out five over two innings to pick up the win.

Harford’s 19 runs and 18 RBIs tie season-high marks for the club.

In game two, Harford built a 9-3 lead through four innings, but had to hold on for two-run win after Montgomery scored one in the sixth and four in the seventh.

Harford right-hander Nick Hohenstein (3-1) pitched well from the second to the seventh inning, allowing just one run on four hits, while striking out four. During the stretch, the Raptors never had more than one runner on base at a time.

With Hohenstein out of the game, though, Montgomery began its slow crawl back into the game. A bases-loaded walk, sac fly and another bases loaded walk cut the deficit down to just three (10-7) with two outs. A bases loaded throwing error by Harford allowed another run to score, pulling the Raptors to within two, 10-8.

Fighting Owls reliever Hunter Bell stopped the bleeding, retiring the next batter on a groundout to retire the side and earn his third save.

Zach Smith had a big day at the dish, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs, while Matt Rivera also finished with three hits.

Patrick Campbell and Ty Kwiatkowski finished with two hits each and Campbell and Reece Jean-Guillaume stole two bases apiece.

John McNamee banged out Harford’s lone home run on the afternoon.