FLORENCE, S.C. - The Harford baseball team earned a huge win in its 2022 season opener on Friday, downing nationally ranked Florence-Darlington 7-3 on the road.

After giving up two runs in the bottom of the first, the Fighting Owls responded with a two-RBI single off the bat of Joe Suarez to tie it the second. Things went quiet over the next two innings until a sac-fly via Andrew Sicinski scored Suarez to put Harford ahead. A few batters later and a three-run blast by Mason Hicks shot Harford's advantage to 6-2.

The Stingers posted one run in the bottom of the seventh, but Joe Quelch's RBI base knock in the top eighth negated it and led the Fighting Owls to a 7-3 win.

Harford received a pair of clutch performances on the mound from Connor Blantz and Joe Clancy. Blantz (1-0) went six strong, striking out five while allowing just three hits. Clancy (S,1) shut down the Stingers in relief, surrendering one hit over three innings of work.

The Fighting Owls start the year 1-0.

Scoring Summary: Click Here

Box Score Highlights

• Ehi Okojie made his Harford debut and recorded Harford other extra base hit with a double
• Quelch and Hicks finished with two hits each
• Braedon Karpathios walked three times and scored a run

Up Next
Harford travels down south once more to face Bryant & Stratton in Virginia Beach this Wednesday, February 16 at 2 p.m.