GRAND JUNCTION, Co. – The No. 10 Harford Fighting Owls dropped its opening contest of the NJCAA DI JUCO World Series, falling 12-6 to the No. 1 Walters State Senators.
Harford jumped ahead 6-2 in the top of the sixth inning, but Walters State scored 10 unanswered runs in the final four frames. Harford's offense was limited to a single and two walks over that same stretch.
The Fighting Owls falls to 48-8 on the season. Harford faces No. 7 Cowley College in an elimination game on Sunday, May 29 at 4 p.m. EST.
Game Recap
A solo home run off the bat of
Braedon Karpathios gave Harford early momentum in the first.
Jeremiah Guzman followed it up with a double down the line but was thrown out while heading home on a single by
Trey Cruz.
Zack Oswald got off to a quick start on the bump, striking out all three batters in the opening inning. Alongside a strong Harford defensive effort, Oswald retired the first eight Senators in order. Walters State finally picked up a pair of baserunners with two outs in the third, but Oswald forced a groundout to short to retire the side.
The Senators were forced to move off ace Jake Knapp in the fourth after a pitch rocketed off the right-hander in the third. Landon Crumbley stepped in for the Senators, battling through the heart of Harford's order to keep the game at 1-0. Walters State loaded the bases to start their half of the fourth, but Oswald forced a fly out to left for one out. The Senators finally broke through with a single through the left side that managed to score two. However, Harford's infield turned a double play to snuff out the rally.
Both teams managed to put runners on in the fifth but neither could drive them home. That changed quickly in the sixth, as a base knock by Guzman and a double from
Trey Cruz tied the contest at 2-2. A walk to
Blake Mayberry forced Walters State to turn to its third pitcher of the day, Geo Rivera. Rivera could not hold back Harford, allowing back-to-back RBI base knocks to return the lead to the Fighting Owls. A sacrifice fly off the bat of
Lenny Montesano and an RBI double by
Joe Quelch scored two before the side was retired with Harford on top 6-2.
The Fighting Owls saw their lead dissipate in the bottom of the frame, surrendering four runs on three hits. Most of the damage came off a bases loaded single that scored three to tie the contest. Walters State then took the lead in the seventh off two bases loaded walks and a bases loaded fielder's choice.
Rivera would rebound, holding Harford to a single and two walks over the final three innings. The Senators pinned three more on Harford in the eighth before closing out the ninth unblemished.
Scoring Summary: Click Here
Box Score Highlights
- Guzman, Cruz, and Ehi Okojie led with two hits each
- Harford was held without a stolen base for just the ninth time this year
- Joe Grassi (3-1) was stuck with the loss
Up Next
Harford battles Cowley College on Sunday, May 29 at 4 p.m. EST.
The winner will advance to another elimination game on Monday while the loser is eliminated from the World Series.
