BEL AIR, Md. - The Harford baseball team punched its ticket to the 2016 NJCAA World Series on Sunday, winning the Eastern District Championship with a 12-4 victory over Monroe. Head coach Tom Eller and the Fighting Owls advance to Grand Junction, Colorado for the first time in school history.
 
The Fighting Owls are off to the NJCAA World Series thanks to a relentless offense and outstanding pitching. Jack Hamner landed a crushing – and somewhat controversial – blow in the third inning to put Harford ahead for good. Hamner hit a three-run homer down the left field line to break a 1-1 tie and put Harford up 4-1. The blast was disputed by the Monroe coaching staff to be a foul ball but, after a lengthy discussion by the four-man umpiring crew, was ruled to be a fair ball.
 
Harford never looked back from that point on as Harford ace, Michael Adams (11-0) held the Mustangs at bay for 7 1/3 innings. He struck out 10 and allowed four runs on 10 hits and two walks.
 
Adams ran into trouble in the eighth inning as Monroe was able to load the bases and allow a run to score. After striking a batter out, he gave way to tournament MVP TJ Pagan who came on with the tying run on deck. Pagan struck out both batters he faced, escaping the jam with an emphatic fist pump and Harford's 9-4 lead intact. Pagan closed the game out, retiring the side in order in the ninth to record his ninth save of the season.
 
Pagan was invaluable in Harford's undefeated run through the Eastern District tournament. He made three appearances in the tournament, pitching 7 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, escaping a few jams and helping to keep the Fighting Owl bullpen fresh.
 
Harford (52-9) fell behind early as Monroe (38-16) went ahead 1-0 in the second inning. Harford tied the game on a passed ball in the third inning which scored Dominic DiSabatino from third. Hamner's three-shot in the same frame put Harford ahead for good as they continued to pile on runs throughout the game.
 
No insurance run came in more exciting fashion than the ultra-rare triple steal executed perfectly by the Fighting Owls. With Daulton Weeks at the plate, the bases loaded and a 2-2 count, Monroe elected to make a pitching change. On the first pitch delivered, Ty Williams took off for the plate as Weeks showed bunt but pulled back. Williams dove head first to the inside part of the plate and the catcher missed the tag.
 
 JP Vail had three run-scoring hits in the game. He drove a run in in the third on a single to put Harford up 5-1.  He drove in another on a double in the seventh and two more on a single in the eighth.
 
Luke Johnson singled with the bases loaded in the fourth to drive in one. DiSabatino drove a run in in the eight as well. He went 3-for-5 on the day with a run driven in and two runs scored.
 
Harford joins a 10-team field of the best teams in the nation to compete for the Division I National Championship. They will take off for Grand Junction on Thursday to prepare for their first game on Saturday. Harford will take on the No. 1 ranked team in the nation in Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) in the opening round. More info on the tournament can be found throughout the week at HarfordAthletics.com as well as at JUCOGJ.org.