From the HCC sports desk:
BEL AIR, Md.—The Harford softball team picked up four wins last week as it opened conference play against Cecil, Prince George’s and Anne Arundel, while also hosting York for a non-conference matchup. The Fighting Owls (5-15, 4-2 MDJUCO) traveled to Cecil for their conference-opener on March 21, where they fell 7-6 and 12-1 (5 inn.) in a doubleheader before sweeping Prince George’s, 13-5 and 12-6 on Monday, March 23, the second game being called for darkness after 4.5 innings. Harford kept its streak going with two wins at Anne Arundel on Wednesday, 8-4 and 12-6 before falling to York, 3-1 and 4-1 on Saturday.
Sophomore Jourdan Harmon (Baltimore, Md./Catholic) led Harford over the eight-game span, batting .565 with 13 hits in 27 at-bats, including four doubles, a triple, 10 RBI and she reached an additional five times on walks.
Freshman Sarah Cooley (2-7) (Clermont, Fla./Bel Air) and sophomore Katie Irwin (3-8) (Edgewood, Md./Harford Tech) each went 2-2 on the week with Irwin accounting for 15 strikeouts and Cooley 19, including the 4-1 game two loss to York which saw her strike out 10, and allow just four runs (three earned) on four hits.
Irwin’s best outing of the span came in the 8-4 win over Anne Arundel where she fanned five batters and gave up four runs (three earned) on nine hits to pick up the complete-game win.
Irwin also looked to be in line for a win in game one against Cecil, as Harford had built a 6-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, but gave up five runs on six hits as Cecil earned the 7-6 victory.
The second game of the doubleheader against Anne Arundel saw Harford down, 6-4 going into the sixth, which freshman Sarah Morrill (Smyrna, Tenn./C. Milton Wright) led-off with a single. Harmon would add a single of her own with one out on the board before Cooley tacked on another single, this time with two outs to load the bases and bring sophomore Cara Testerman (Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford) to the plate.
Testerman notched her first homer of the year as she launched a grand slam ball over the right field fence to give Harford the 8-6 lead and the eventual 10-6 win.
The Fighting Owls return to action on Wednesday, April 1 when they travel to Chesapeake for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader.
