Ellicott City, MD - It was raining home runs at Kiwanis Wallace Park last Saturday as the Howard Community College Dragons recorded a doubleheader sweep of the Hagerstown Community College Hawks.

The Dragons smacked six total home runs while raising #850 for the Strikeout Cancer Initiative via 16 total strikeouts (Each strikeout meant $50 to the initiative). Before the games, the Dragons honored cancer survivor and former HCC employee Scott Thomas, who threw out the first pitch.

Game One: Dragons 16, Hawks 6
Howard sent ace pitcher Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) to the mound for game one, hoping to shut down the Hawks and allow their batters to run up the score. Hagerstown made it clear they weren't going to lay down for the Dragons, with a grand slam home run in the top of the first giving the Hawks a 4-0 lead. The Dragons quickly responded with a lead-off home run from Courtney Johnson (Fulton, MD/Reservoir), followed by back-to-back extra-base hits from Madison Falby (Laurel, MD/Reservoir) and Raegan Perkes (Laurel, MD/Laurel) that scored four more runs. Now leading 5-4, the Dragons began to open up the score.

Howard added three more runs in the bottom of the second, with a Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales) sac-fly and a two RBI single from Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) making it 8-4 in favor of Howard. Courtney Johnson's (Fulton, MD/Reservoir) second home run of the game scored three more runs in the bottom of the third, making it 11-4. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Webb smacked a moonshot home run of her own to score two more runs, making it 13-4 Dragons.

Hagerstown finally responded in the top of the fourth with an Alexis Jones home run the fifth home run of the game for both teams. Howard immediately responded with a three RBI home run from Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales) to make it 16-5 in favor of the Dragons. With the game all but sealed, Howard allowed one last Hagerstown run on a fielder's choice to close out the contest in five innings via run-rule.

Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) pitched the entire contest with seven strikeouts for $350 to the Strikeout Cancer Initiative raised, along with two hits. Howard recorded four total home runs, two each for Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales) and Courtney Johnson (Fulton, MD/Reservoir). Johnson scored four runs, two hits, and four RBIs, while Webb added two runs, twon hits, and five RBIs. Raegan Perkes (Laurel, MD/Laurel) added three hits, two runs, and an RBI, along with one of three stolen bases for the Dragons. Morgan Ryan (Laurel, MD/Atholton) scored two runs and a stolen base.

Game Two: Dragons 10, Hawks 1
Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales) took the mound for game two and immediately went to work, pitching a no-hitter up till the fourth inning. Hagerstown's pitcher responded with a great performance herself, with the Dragons only run in the first three innings coming from a Webb home run. In the top of the fourth, Hagerstown got on the board with a sac-ground out, tying the game at 1-1.

Howard responded with a dominant hitting streak in the bottom of the fourth. Micah Howell (Columbia, MD/Atholton) got the party started with an RBI single, followed by an RBI double by Courtney Johnson (Fulton, MD/Reservoir). Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales) scored her second RBI of the game with a double to end the inning, giving Howard a 4-1 lead. After Webb shut down the side in the top of the fifth, the Dragons scored two more runs off hits from Raegan Perkes (Laurel, MD/Laurel) and Madison Falby (Laurel, MD/Reservoir). Now leading 6-1 entering the sixth, the Dragons hopped all over the Hawks new pitcher to start the inning. Johnson smacked a home run to the corner, followed by a Morgan Ryan (Laurel, MD/Atholton) RBI double. With Victoria Wright (Columbia, MD/Glenelg) in scoring position, Giana Sablan (Hagatna, Guam/Academy of Our Lady of Guam) ended the game off a single to deep right field, giving Howard a 10-1 run-rule victory.

Webb had easily her best pitching performance of the season, pitching a complete game with six strikeouts for $300 to the Strikeout Cancer Initiative. On the offensive side, Webb smashed her third home run of the series, recorded two runs, three hits, and two RBIs. Courtney Johnson (Fulton, MD/Reservoir) added her third home run of the day, two runs, two hits, and two RBIs. Morgan Ryan (Laurel, MD/Atholton) had two doubles, two runs, and the final run of the game, while Raegan Perkes (Laurel, MD/Laurel) added two doubles as well.

The Dragons next face Frederick Community College on Wednesday, March 26 in a doubleheader at 3:00 PM.