HAGERSTOWN, Md. - The Harford baseball team (38-9) earned the No. 1 seed in the 2011 Region XX Championships with a Saturday split against Hagerstown.
Jason Seitler tossed a complete game three hitter in game two to clinch the top spot in the 4-1 victory after the team lost 4-3 in the opener.
The Fighting Owls finished with a 6-2 record against the four other Division I teams in the region. Harford swept Potomac State, who will host the regionals on May 13-15 with the No. 2 seed. They also swept Chesapeake and split with Hagerstown and Anne Arundel. Both games the Fighting Owls lost were one-run contests.
The top seed is the best in school history for the Fighting Owls. It also guarantees an opening round bye.
Hagerstown 4, Harford 3
With the Fighting Owls down to their last out, trailing 3-2, head coach
Tom Eller and pinch runner
Matt Gray executed a perfect straight steal of home to knot the score at 3-3.
The home team opened the bottom half of the seventh with back-to-back singles, and the winning run scored when the ball got away from the outfielder on the second hit.
Corey Taylor lasted six innings, striking out five but walked five, as well. While he didn't have his best stuff, he allowed just three runs and kept the team in the game all day.
The Harford bats did not support their top lefthander, however.
Anthony Ortiz had a two-run single in the second, but that was the only big hit for the Fighting Owls.
Harford 4, Hagerstown 1
Seitler has dealing in the nightcap, striking out a career-high 10 batters while walking just one. He scattered three hits and allowed just one run in the third inning.
The offense spotted Seitler a 1-0 lead in the first when leadoff hitter
Jonathan Castro scored. They gave him a 2-1 lead in the fifth before adding on a pair in the seventh for innsurance.
Castro finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored while
Alex Riley went 1-for-1 with a walk, a HBP and a sacrifice fly.
The Fighting Owls take on the No. 1 NJCAA Division II team in the nation, Frederick on the road on Sunday.
