ABERDEEN, Md. - In a battle of the top team teams in the MD JUCO, first-place Harford fell to second-place Catonsville, 6-5, in a special Sophomore Night held at Ripken Stadium.

Trailing 6-2, The Fighting Owls mounted a rally in the eighth inning, scoring three runs on four hits, but Harford had a runner thrown out at home in the rally and the Fighting Owls (37-10, 21-2) suffered just their second loss in conference play this year, their first in the last 18 MD JUCO games.

The Cardinals (28-12-1, 18-4) scratched out 11 hits and almost played ad-on in the top of the ninth. After three consecutive Harford errors on balls that did not leave the infield loaded the bases, Taylor Nelson got a foul pop to the catcher and then induced a 5-2-3 double play to end the threat and take it to the ninth, but the Fighting Owls went 1-2-3 to end the game.

James Wilson tallied three hits and a pair of RBI while Jerry Jerminski chipped in with a pair of hits. Jason Seitler (7-2) suffered his first loss of the year in a game that he started, falling to 7-1 in eight 2012 starts.

The Fighting Owls travel to Allegany on Sunday for a doubleheader that begins at noon.