Ellicott City, MD - In perhaps the best doubleheader of the young season, the Howard Community College Dragons and Corning Community College Red Barons battled to a split series on Thursday afternoon!

Howard dominated in game one, overcoming an early deficit to win via mercy rule when Jensyn Koonce (Chesapeake, VA/Greatbridge) walked it off. Gianna Peluso (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge) hit for the cycle in an excellent offensive showing for the Dragons.

Game two looked like it would be a Corning blowout after a storm of fielding errors by the Dragons allowed the Red Barons to pull out to a nine-run lead deep into the seventh. But the Dragons amazingly came all the way back, making it a one-run game before Corning finally escaped in the bottom of the inning to get the win.

The split series moves the Dragons to 8-8 on the season.

Game One: Dragons 14, Red Barons 6
Corning carried the #5 Divison III ranking into Thursday's games, and they took little time to remind Howard of that fact. A trio of fielding errors from Howard's outfield, including a scary collision between Kaylee Brogan (Woodbine, MD/Glenelg) and Gianna Peluso (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge), allowed two early runs from the Red Barons. Howard managed to respond in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty), but on the same play Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) was thrown out while trying to secure an extra base. Webb, the starting pitcher for the Dragons, locked down the Red Barons over the next two innings.

In the bottom of the third, the Dragons got to work. Peluso had already hit a single to start her day at the plate, and followed that with a double. A wild pitch advanced her to third and allowed Madison Falby (Laurel, MD/Reservoir) to score to tie the game, and the Dragons took the lead after Madison Hamolia (Odenton, MD/Arundel) singled through the right side. A Steele double and Taylor Pence (Mt. Airy, MD/Glenelg) single brought two more runs home, and Jensyn Koonce (Chesapeake, VA/Greatbridge) hit a sac-fly to make it 6-2 Dragons after three.

It was far from over. Corning responded in the fourth with three runs, courtesy of an RBI double from Ashlyn Courson, a sac-fly from Raven Gonzales, and a blooper by Ava Sherman that somehow got Courson home. Now trailing 6-5, the Red Barons just needed to stop Howards' offense. Peluso made sure that wouldn't happen, as she smacked a home run to start the fourth inning.

Now up by two, the Dragons kept the pressure up in the fifth. Starting pitcher Chloe Perritt was pulled after an error allowed Taylor Pence (Mt. Airy, MD/Glenelg) to steal home. Peluso immediately went on the attack against new pitcher Nirvana Cole, smashing a triple to give her a cycle on the day and score two more runs. Howard now led 10-5 and could put the game away if they got to the run-rule limit. Corning responded with a sac-fly to steal a run back in the top of the sixth, but it was the last run they would get on the day. After loading the bases, Howard walked it off as Jensyn Koonce (Chesapeake, VA/Greatbridge) smashed a fly ball to left field that just cleared the fence, giving her a grand-slam walkoff.

Game Two: Red Barons 14, Dragons 13
The Red Barons jumped out to an early lead once again in game two, this time capitalizing on HCC errors. A 2-0 lead after an Ashlyn Courson single was extended via a Maddie Gulich single, a Makenna Dunbar fielder's choice, and an error allowing Erika David to reach first. After two innings, Corning led comfortably 5-0.

Howard managed to get one run back in the bottom of the second, as an error by the Red Barons allowed Taylor Pence (Mt. Airy, MD/Glenelg) to score. But Corning's pitching locked down the Dragons over the next two innings, while an Erika David home run made it 6-1 in favor of the Red Barons.

The Dragons began their comeback in the bottom of the fifth. After two runners got aboard, Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) brought one home on an RBI smack to right field. Madison Falby (Laurel, MD/Reservoir) then cleared the cases when she singled through the left side, making it a two-run game. Howard crept closer in the bottom of the sixth with a Taylor Pence (Mt. Airy, MD/Glenelg) sac-fly. Now down just one, the Dragons needed a defensive stand and two runs to walk off the Red Barons for the second straight game.

However, the earlier errors that had put Howard in their deficit in the first place returned. Corning scored on three straight errors by Howard, and two additional errors allowed the bases to load. Maddie Gulich then smashed a grand slam to make it 14-5 with one half-inning to go. It was all over, and with the first two batters striking out, Howard was down to just one final strike.

Then, magic happened.

Gianna Peluso (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge), who had been held in check most of the day, smacked a single to get the inning started. Layla Walker (Laurel, MD/Hammond) then tripled to center field, scoring Peluso and making it 14-6. Madison Hamolia (Odenton, MD/Arundel) doubled down the right field line to score Walker, and Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) hopped aboard on an infield error. Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) then cleared the bases with a double to right center, and Taylor Pence (Mt. Airy, MD/Glenelg) followed that with a double to center field. Jensyn Koonce (Chesapeake, VA/Greatbridge) continued the rally with a two-run home run to make it 14-12. Somehow, some way, the Dragons were back!

Madison Falby (Laurel, MD/Reservoir) kept the rally going with a double to left field, and Corning was forced to change pitcher to try and stop the bleeding. New pitcher Makenna Dunbar walked Katherine Wright (Dayton, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) to get two aboard, then hit Gianna Peluso (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge) to load the bases. A bases-loaded walk on Layla Walker (Laurel, MD/Hammond) made it 14-13 Corning, and gave Howard a chance to complete the impossible. But Madison Hamolia (Odenton, MD/Arundel) grounded out to end the inning, halting the Dragons chances of a miraculous comeback.

Despite the loss, the Dragons had much to celebrate with their near-comeback. They will take the field once more on Saturday, March 21 against Jefferson Community College beginning at 11:00 AM!