Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Harford baseball team split a pair of contests with Mercer County (23-4) Tuesday afternoon. Harford (20-7) dropped game one, 8-7, but rebounded to win game two, 9-3, as Jack Hamner and Dominic DiSabatino each went deep in both games.
 
Harford 7, Mercer County 8
A four-run rally in the seventh inning was too little, too late for the Fighting Owls as they saw their 12-game win streak snapped in game one. Sloppy play on defense ultimately cost them as they committed six errors in the game, resulting in three unearned runs.
 
Anthony Apreda (1-1) pitched better than the line of eight runs (five earned) would suggest. He did surrender nine hits, including two home runs, but was forced to record extra outs due to errors behind him. He struck out five and walked one over four innings pitched
 
The Fighting Owls saw their comeback bid fall short in the seventh due, in part, to a tough luck ground rule double by Joe Burton. Down 8-6 and having already plated three runs in the final frame, Burton stepped to the plate with men on first and second and two outs. He belted a line drive into the gap in left center which would have scored both runners on base to tie the game but only one run was permitted to score because the ball bounced off the ground, hit the top of the fence and went over, resulting in a ground-rule double. Chase DeMars would have scored easily from first had the ball not left the field of play.
 
As a result, the Vikings were able to bring in closer John Wilkins to put out the fire. With runners on second and third, he retired DiSabatino, inducing a weak fly out to right field to end the game.
 
Harford hit three home runs in the game, all solos. Hamner smashed his fifth HR of the season to put the Fighting Owls on the board in the third. He took a 3-2 pitch deep down the left field line for a solo shot, cutting Mercer County's lead to 3-1. DiSabatino hit his fourth of the season in the fourth inning. He also hit a 3-2 pitch out of the park, pulling Harford to within two again at 4-2. JP Vail hit a one-out homer in the fifth inning to make the score 8-3. Hitting from the left side, he crushed the first pitch he saw through the wind and over the fence in right center field for his fifth home run of the season.
 
Harford 9, Mercer County 3
After giving away a two-run lead in the fourth inning and falling behind 3-2, Harford responded with six runs in the fifth to blow game two wide open en route to a 9-3 win.
 
Hamner led the game off with a home run, his second of the day and sixth of the season. The Fighting Owls took advantage of a leadoff walk in the second inning. Ben Bomberger drew the free pass, stole second, advanced to third on a deep fly out to right field by Vail and scored on a ground out by Luke Johnson, giving Harford a 2-0 lead.
 
Harford held onto that lead until the fourth inning when Mercer County was able to push across three runs on two hits and walk. The rally seemed to re-energize the Vikings and could have served as a catalyst for them to score more runs.
 
Harford's response was emphatic and essentially ended the game. They scored six runs on four hits, sending 10 men to the plate, the first six of which reached base. Daulton Weeks and Burton started the inning off with singles. DiSabatino was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bomberger successfully laid down a squeeze bunt, forcing Vikings pitcher Ryan Kastner to make an errant throw home. Weeks scored from third and Burton came around to score from second on the error.
 
Vail followed with a triple on a ground ball that just stayed fair down the right field line, scoring two. With Johnson batting, Vail came home to score on a wild pitch. Johnson finished the rally with an exclamation point, crushing a solo home run over the trees in left field to give Harford an 8-3 lead. It was his second home run of the season. Johnson also did stellar work behind the dish, throwing out two potential base stealers and recording an assist on a nice backup after an error at first base.
 
DiSabatino would add to the lead with a long home run down the left field line to make it 9-3. It was his second homer of the day and fifth of the season.
 
The game was called after six innings due to darkness.
 
Josh Silvestri (4-0) came on to pitch in the fourth and did yeoman's work out of the bullpen to earn the win. He allowed just one hit and no runs over three innings while striking out five.
 
Mike Adams made the start but only pitched two innings as he was limited to a pitch count. He allowed no runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four.
 
The Fighting Owls were scheduled to host Penn State York on Wednesday but that game has been cancelled. They will be home on Thursday to face Camden County for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.