BEL AIR, Md. – The Harford softball team picked up their first conference win as they split a doubleheader with Hagerstown Friday. Harford (5-19, 1-7 MD JUCO) were beaten 11-1 in game one but rebounded to win game two, 7-4.
 
Harford 1, Hagerstown 11
Hagerstown (4-16, 3-3 MD JUCO) put up a crooked number in the third inning and ran away with the opener as the Fighting Owls' game one woes continued. They have played 12 doubleheaders so far this season and have dropped the first game 10 times, eight of which they were unable to avoid the eight run rule. They have been much more competitive in the second games of the doubleheaders, as their run differential is minus-30 in night caps as opposed to minus-71 in openers.
 
The visiting Hawks strung together seven hits in their eight-run third inning, going up 11-0 in the process. Harford made a pair of errors in the field but they had little bearing on the score as the Hawks simply caught fire at the plate.
 
The Fighting Owls were unable to get much going offensively. They managed to push a run across in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Julia Sanders but were unable to tack on enough to extend the game. Emily Wikane, Lindsey Fenner, P.Imani Gilliard and Allyssa Lyons each went 1-for-2 in the game. Bethanie Cook was 0-for-1 with a pair of walks and a run scored.
 
Harford 7, Hagerstown 4
The Fighting Owls bounced back to capture their first MD JUCO win of the season in game two. They fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but used a patient approach at the plate to draw eight walks as a team to go along with seven hits and scored the next seven runs in the game.
 
Julia Sanders went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks in the contest. Both of her hits knocked in runs as she tallied three runs batted-in.
 
Harford answered the Hawks two runs in the first with a run in the bottom half, another in the third, three in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Cook laid down a bunt single, moved all the way to third on Amanda Hildebrandt's sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch to get her team on the board in the first.
 
Sanders drew a walk to open the third and moved all the way to third on Jazmyn Gutshall's sacrifice bunt. Sanders came in to tie the game at two on a ground out by Gilliard.
 
Cook and Hilldebrandt both drew walks to open the bottom of the fourth. Wikane singled to drive in Cook and Sanders followed with another single to drive in Hilldebrandt. A pair of wild pitches allowed Wikane to score from second putting Harford up 5-2.
 
Lyons led off the fifth with a single and Cook reached on an error. They moved to second and third on another sacrifice bunt by Hilldebrandt and Sanders drove them in with a single to right field. It was some welcome insurance as Hagerstown attempted to edge their way back with a run in the sixth and seventh.
 
Hilldebrandt (5-16) earned the win in the circle for her team. She gave up four runs on nine hits and four walks, and struck out four.
 
Harford will have a quick turnaround as they will be back at it on Saturday. They hit the road to face Morris (N.J.) in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon.