GRAND JUNCTION, Co. – No. 10 Harford had its season come to a halt Sunday evening, as the Fighting Owls lost 12-4 to the No. 7 Cowley College Tigers on the second day of the NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series.

Harford's offense scored four runs in the first two innings, but Cowley matched them with four of its own. From there, the Tigers would outscore the Fighting Owls 8-0 over the final five innings of the game.

Harford finishes 2022 with a 48-9 record.

Game Recap
Harford quickly loaded the bases in the first with no outs, but Cowley took down the next batter via punch out. Blake Mayberry stepped up next and put the Fighting Owls on the board with a two-RBI single. Harford catcher Andrew Sicinski put a ball deep into the infield to score one more before the side was retired.

Cowley did wait long to respond, scoring four in the bottom of the frame and knocking out Harford starter Connor Blantz in the process. The Tigers did their damage on an RBI-single, a two-RBI triple, and a wild pitch. Bobby Spencer stepped onto the bump, walking one batter before Cowley stopped itself via interference after a ground ball hit a baserunner's foot while advancing to second.

Nick Gaitan picked things up for Harford in the second with a home run to dead center, tying the game at 4-4. Braedon Karpathios' double and Jeremiah Guzman's walk with two outs threated to do more damage but a strikeout snuffed out the rally.

The Karpathios double was Harford's last hit until the top of the seventh. Cowley took advantage of the drought, tagging the Fighting Owls for four runs across four innings. Strong pitching from Bobby Spencer and a couple of great defensive plays by Joe Quelch and Lenny Montesano kept the game from getting away until the sixth. Spencer (5 IP, 6 Ks) was eventually bounced with two outs in the inning and Cowley immediately homered to score two. This left the Tigers up 10-4 after six.

Quelch singled with one out in the seventh to end Harford's hitless stretch, but the next batter rolled into a double play to kill the inning. Cowley proceeded to end the contest early, loading the bases and eventually scoring two runs on a fielder's choice and a single for a mercy rule victory.

Scoring Summary: Click Here

Box Score Highlights

• Harford finishes with a .842 win percentage, the best in program history
• Quelch led Harford with two hits
• Karpathios, Blake Mayberry, and Gaitan finished with one
• Guzman walked three times
• Quelch and Guzman recorded one stolen base each

For more information about the Harford Fighting Owls, visit www.harfordathletics.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Harford Athletics), Twitter and Instagram (@FightingOwlsHCC).