Bel Air, MD - Howard Community College's softball team took a series split with Harford Community College on Monday, winning game one 2-0 and losing game two 7-4.

The Dragons played tough against Region 20's only Division I team, taking both games the full distance. The six runs scored by the Dragons marked the second fewest in a series this season, a testament to the tough pitching Howard hd to face.

Game One: Dragons 2, Fighting Owls 0
Game one was a pitcher's duel between Howard's Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales) and Harford's Kaylee Pruett. Both starters went the distance, recording 12 total strikeouts. Neither team could get sustained momentum until the top of the third, as Howard got two runners aboard. A perfectly placed bunt by Raegan Perkes (Laurel, MD/Laurel) brought home Micah Howell (Columbia, MD/Atholton), and an overthrow by Harford allowed Courtney Johnson (Fulton, MD/Reservoir) to score as well. Howard's 2-0 lead would hold the rest of the way, as clutch plays by the defense kept Harford from scoring a single run. Harford got two aboard in the bottom of the third, but a ground ball batted right back to Webb set up the last out.

Harford would have another chance to tie the contest in the bottom of the sixth, as two runners got aboard off a pair of singles. Webb struck out the final batter, then retired the side to wrap up the 2-0 win. Webb went the distance with nine strikeouts, while the top offensive threat for the Dragons was Courtney Johnson (Fulton, MD/Reservoir) with a double.

Game Two: Fighting Owls 7, Dragons 4
Howard quickly took the lead in game two, loading the bases and drawing a bases-loaded walk to score Perkes. Holly Ryan's (Elkridge, MD/Long Reach) RBI double brought home two more runs to give the Dragons a 3-0 lead. Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) then went to work, shutting out the Fighting Owls over the next two innings.

Harford would finally respond in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs to tie the contest. Both teams dug in the trenches for the next two innings, until Howard broke the tie in the top of the sixth. Micah Howell's (Columbia, MD/Atholton) massive double cleared the fence to score Morgan Ryan (Laurel, MD/Atholton). The Dragons just needed to hang on against Harford, but the Fighting Owl's bats finally awoke and scored four unanswered runs to take a 7-4 lead. Courtney Johnson (Fulton, MD/Reservoir) would kick off the seventh by doubling, but the next three batters were retired to end the game.

Despite the loss, the Dragons played well against a Division I opponent. Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) recorded a pair of strikeouts, while Johnson and Morgan Ryan (Laurel, MD/Atholton) each recorded two hits. Three Dragons hit doubles, and Johnson added to her growing total of stolen bases.

The Dragons next face the College of Southern Maryland on Wednesday in a potential playoff preview. First pitch will be at 3:00 PM at Kiwanis Wallace Park Field #7!