BEL AIR, MD -- On a day filled with celebration and strong performances, the Harford Fighting Owls softball team honored its sophomores in style yesterday with a doubleheader sweep of Hagerstown Community College, taking the first game 6–1 and edging out a 7–5 victory in game two. The Fighting Owls have now won five straight and eight of their last 10 games.
Game 1: Sexton Shines in the Circle
Harford (18-12, 9-5 Maryland Juco) wasted no time getting on the board in the opener, capitalizing on a Hagerstown error in the bottom of the first to take a 1–0 lead. Arianna Blum (Harford Technical) extended the advantage in the second inning with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt that made it 2–0.
Hagerstown answered back in the fourth with a solo home run from Brooke Buhrman, but that would be their only run of the game.
Harford responded decisively in the sixth when Kayla Gist (Hanover Township, Pa.) launched a two-run homer to center field, pushing the lead to 6–1 and putting the game out of reach.
Anna Sexton (Nottingham, Pa.) was dominant in the circle, tossing a complete game with nine strikeouts while allowing just five hits and one walk. She was backed by a clean defensive effort, as the Fighting Owls committed no errors and turned a key double play.
At the plate, Alexis Trzeciak (North Harford) set the pace from the leadoff spot with two hits in four at-bats. Blum and Gist each drove in two runs, highlighting a balanced offensive attack that saw eight hits spread across the lineup.
Game 2: Offense Delivers Early, Defense Holds Late
The Fighting Owls came out swinging in the second game, erasing a 1–0 deficit with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the first. Gist sparked the rally with an RBI double, followed by run-scoring singles from Katelyn McCullough (Elkton) and Brianna Lunenfeld (Harford Technical), who plated two more.
Gist struck again in the second, this time with a triple to drive in Harford's fifth run. The Fighting Owls eventually built a 7–2 lead, but Hagerstown clawed back late with solo home runs from Morgan Gutteridge and Buhrman. Still, Harford held firm to seal the 7–5 win.
Lunenfeld earned the victory with a gritty complete game effort, scattering 12 hits while striking out four and walking none.
Offensively, the Fighting Owls racked up 13 hits. Trzeciak stayed hot at the top of the order, going 3-for-5. Gist and Lunenfeld both drove in two runs, while McCullough and Kaylee Pruett (Rising Sun) chipped in with multi-hit efforts.
The sweep not only kept Harford rolling but also made for a perfect way to celebrate the team's sophomores — highlighting the balance and heart that define this squad.
