Rodriguez's Triple Double Leads Harford Fighting Owls to 5-2 Victory Over Roadrunners

BEL AIR, MD — Keldrin Rodriguez (Bronx, N.Y.) put on a show Thursday afternoon in front of a home crowd, delivering a 3-for-3 performance with three doubles to help power the Fighting Owls past the Rowan College of Gloucester County Roadrunners 5-2 and their 12th consecutive game.

After a wild pitch gave the Roadrunners a brief 1-0 lead in the top half of the inning, Harford (38-7, 19-3 Region 20) responded with a clutch offensive surge.

Rodriguez set the tone early, doubling to center field in his first at-bat to spark a three-run first inning. His double tied the game, and the Fighting Owls kept rolling.

Derek Poole (Archbishop Curley) followed with an RBI single and Jeremy Reyes (Queens, N.Y.) drew a bases-loaded walk to give Harford a 3-1 lead.

Rodriguez stayed locked in at the plate, delivering another double in the third inning to drive in his second RBI of the game. He would cap his perfect day with a third double in the seventh, finishing with three RBIs and serving as the driving force behind the Fighting Owls' offense.

Rodriguez is slashing .387/.503/.739 this season with eight home runs, 48 RBIs and 15 doubles. Through five games in April, he has a .600 (9-for-15) batting average with five doubles and 11 RBIs

While Rodriguez carried the load at the plate, the Harford pitching staff turned in a true team effort on the mound.

Starter Liam Diehl (Hereford) threw two solid innings, allowing just one hit and one run, while striking out three. The bullpen took it from there, combining for seven innings of scoreless relief.

Ben Christine (Olney, Md.) picked up the win after tossing two clean innings with one strikeout and relievers Kyle Tuthill (Morrisville, Pa.), Ryan Davis (West Chester, Pa.), Ryan Garcia (Centreville, Va.) and Titus Shay (Harrisburg, Pa.) each contributed scoreless frames to preserve the lead.

The defensive effort was just as sharp. Harford played error-free baseball and turned a key double play to help squash any Roadrunner momentum.  

Ryan Albin (Southhampton, Pa.) joined Rodriguez in the three-hit club, adding to the Fighting Owls' collection of nine hits on the day. 

Albin has a slash line of .417/.554/.654 this season with 11 doubles, two triples, five homers and 35 RBIs.

With the win, the Fighting Owls continue to build momentum down the stretch of the season, with Thursday's performance showcasing the team's depth and determination.

Harford will look to carry this strong showing into its next game on Sunday as they prepare to host Region 20 Division I foe Potomac State for a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.