CCBC-Dundalk Box Score
Rockville Game 1 Box Score
Rockville Game 2 Box Score
Montgomery (Pa.) Game 1 Box Score
Montgomery (Pa.) Game 2 Box Score
Cecil Box Score
BEL AIR, Md.—The Harford baseball team bounced back from a 10-0 shutout loss to Delaware Tech by winning its next five straight games last week with wins over CCBC-Dundalk, Montgomery College-Rockville and Montgomery County (Pa.), before falling to Cecil, 5-3, on a cold, blustery Tuesday night at Harford Baseball Field.
The Fighting Owls (17-12, 7-6 MDJUCO) battled the Lions (15-9, 8-2 MDJUCO) to a 2-1 decision last Thursday as freshman Joe Harbach (2-1) (Abingdon, Md./Edgewood) gave up just one run on four hits and struck out four in eight winnings of work, while freshman Brendon Meyers (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) pitched one inning in relief and gave up one hit and fanned one batter to earn the save, his second of the season.
Saturday's doubleheader at Rockville saw the Owls combine for 28 runs on 34 hits in two, 18-8, seven-inning, and 10-0, six-inning wins. Freshman Mike Rappazzo (2-2) (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) was pitching a gem through five innings, giving up just one run on six hits while seeing the Owl offense account for 17 runs, but allowed seven in the sixth to force the game to a seventh inning, where Harford tacked on one more run to take an 18-8 going into the bottom of the inning.
Freshman Seth Blackiston (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) entered in relief and shutdown the Knights (0-16, 0-14 MDJUCO) for the final inning, striking out one, on the way to the 18-8 win and then picked up the win for game two's 10-0 decision after pitching two scoreless and hitless innings to start the game.
Freshman Kyle Otstot (Lewisberry, Pa./Redland) led Harford in game one, going 4-for-5 with one run scored and four RBI, while sophomore Chazz Losito (Avon Grove, Pa./Avon Grove/Wilmington) was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored and a double and reached base an additional time on a hit by pitch.
Sunday saw the Owls 10-run Montgomery, 12-2, in game one and take a 9-1 win in game two as freshmen Chris Peacher (2-2) (Abingdon, Md./Harford Tech) and Cory Grossman (1-1) (Dundalk, Md./Kenwood) combined for the day's wins.
Peacher pitched the five-inning complete game win giving up two runs on six hits and striking out two Mustang (13-7), while Grossman struck out four and allowed one run (unearned) on six hits in six innings of work.
Losito reached base four more times in game one, going a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored, two RBI and a double and reached on two hit by pitches. Freshman Mike Krider (State College, Pa./State College) repeated the feat in game two, reaching base on a walk and going 3-for-3 with a double, three runs and one RBI.
Harbach took the start against the Seahawks (16-13, 9-8 MDJUCO) and was tabbed with the loss after giving up four runs, just one earned, on seven hits and striking out a team, season-high, eight batters in six innings.
Chad Jenkins (6-2) earned the win for Cecil after fanning 12 batters and giving up three runs, one earned, on two hits, while Billy Bretz pitched one scoreless and hitless inning in relief to pick up the save.
Otstot led the Owls, going for 1-for-2 on the night with one run scored, and reached base twice more on walks, while Rich Shuler was 3-for-5 for Cecil with a double and two runs scored.
Cecil took an early, 4-0, lead by the bottom of the third, with two runs each in the first and third, before Harford tacked on its first in the bottom of the inning as freshman Kyle Rooker (Coco Beach, Fla./Space Coast) led off the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Ryan Schaeffer (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon). Rooker stole third and scored on the catcher's overthrow to cut the Harford deficit to three, 4-1.
The Owls added another run in the fourth, this time on a wild pitch that allowed Krider to score, before coming within one runs in the seventh as Meyers plated Otstot with a groundout RBI to give the Seahawks just a one-run lead, 4-3.
Cecil would tack on its final run in the ninth off a sac fly by Lou Baldini before Harford stranded two runners to end the ninth and give Cecil the 5-3 win.
The Fighting Owls return to action on Thursday when they host Baltimore City for a 4:00 p.m. game at Harford Baseball Field.
