Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The No. 15 Harford baseball team split a pair with No. 12 Mercer County Tuesday afternoon. The Fighting Owls (38-10) fell 6-3 in game one before outlasting the Vikings (34-10) in extra innings to win 5-3.
 
Mercer County 6, Harford 3
Harford jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Brett Hash's 13^th home run of the season, a lined shot to left field. The Fighting Owls struggled to figure out Mercer County pitcher Brandon Garret for the majority of the game though. The righty went the distance, striking out nine batters while walking just one. He allowed five hits and three runs over seven innings pitched.
 
John Hetterman (3-3) made the start on the mound for the Fighting Owls and took the loss. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits, one walk and three hit batters while striking out a pair of batters.
 
The Vikings plated four runs in the bottom of the second on five hits. They scored twice in the fourth on a two-run homer by James Rice.
 
Harford threatened in the fifth inning, loading the bases with one out, but came away disappointed with just two runs on a Jack Hamner two-run single. Garret finished the game strong, setting Harford down in order in the sixth and seventh innings to end the game.
 
Harford 5, Mercer County 3, F/9
Harford scratched and clawed their way to a skid-ending win in game two, salvaging a split in comeback fashion. Down 3-2 in the sixth, the Fighting Owls were able to knot things up on a two-out bloop single by CJ Young that scored Jamal Clarke from second and gave life to a team that was on the verge of a four-game losing streak.
 
If that didn't bring some intensity to the team, TJ Pagan's escape from a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning did. Connor Reeves made his first start of the season and pitched well, giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. He left with two outs in the sixth with the bases loaded, handing the ball off to Pagan. Pagan saw the count run full before whiffing Brandon Abdul to end the inning, punctuated with an emphatic fist pump.
 
Pagan stayed in the game to pitch the rest of the game and made big pitches en route to his first win of the season. He struck out four over 3 1/3 innings and faced the minimum despite allowing two hits. All 10 outs he recorded came on either a strikeout or a groundout. He erased both singles with a pair of double plays.
 
Most importantly, Pagan kept the Vikings off the board, allowing Harford to win the game in extras. Hamner and Ben Bomberger combined to put the Fighting Owls in the lead with a pair of doubles. Hamner, after just missing a home run on a fly ball that hooked foul and a sure extra-base hit on another foul ball down the right field line, doubled to the gap in left-center to lead off the ninth. Bomberger followed suit with another double to the same gap on the very next pitch to score Hamner. Hash would plate Bomberger two batters later on a single up the middle to give Harford some insurance.
 
Like game one, The Fighting Owls struggled to string together hits for most of the game. Things started off promising as they struck for two runs in the first inning. Hamner led the game off with a double and Ben Bomberger cashed him in with a single. Both hits were line drives and it looked as if the offense was on its way to another prolific performance. It was not to be as Vikings lefty Zach Gakeler was able to navigate the Harford lineup effectively.
 
Harford will look to build off of the emotional win as they will host another New Jersey foe in Brookdale Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.