Ellicott City, MD - The Howard Community College Dragons were playing for more than just wins on Saturday, as they swept the Harford Community College Fighting Owls and raised over $13,000 dollars to the Strikeout Cancer Foundation.

The Dragons donation efforts included a donating money per strike out during Saturday's doubleheader, blowing out the Fighting Owls in game one and walking them off in a wild game two. Howard's three pitchers combined for five strikeouts on the afternoon, while the Dragons tallied 30 total runs and 31 total hits as their offense continued to churn late in the season.

Game One: Dragons 17, Fighting Owls 9
Howard blasted the Fighting Owls in game one, thanks to an eleven-run first inning. After Harford jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Dragons unloaded with three straight RBI singles to take a 4-1 lead. Gianna Peluso (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge) then smashed a deep grand slam home run to make it 8-1 Dragons. Two more RBI singles, plus a gutsy steal of home by Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales Academy), made it 11-1 after the first.

Kaylee Brogan (Woodbine, MD/Glenelg) continued the onslaught for Howard with her second RBI single of the day to make it 12-1 in the second. Harford finally found some momentum, scoring five unanswered runs between the third and fourth inning. This included a two-run home run from Kayla Gist which cut the deficit to six runs. It would be as close as the Fighting Owls would come, as Brogan scored off an error in the bottom of the fourth to restart the blowout. Peluso hit her second home run of the day to score two more runs, before a triple from Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) brought home another run. Jensyn Koonce (Chesapeake, VA/Greatbridge) added the final run of the game with an RBI single to close out the win.

Gist smacked a three-run home run in the top of the fifth to close the gap to eight, but a solid pitching outing from Webb kept the Fighting Owls in check and secured Howard's win. Webb pitched a complete game, striking out four batters. Peluso scored three runs, six RBIs, and two hits, while Brogan, Koonce, and Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) each had three hits.

Game Two: Dragons 13, Fighting Owls 12
Game two was a true battle, with the two teams combining for 25 total runs and 28 total hits. Howard got on the board first in the bottom of the first when Layla Walker (Laurel, MD/Hammond) hit a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Gianna Peluso (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge). The second inning would be a pitchers duel between Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) and Harford's Kaylee Pruett, before Harford broke the stalemate in the top of the third when Ava Wimer slid into home on an error.

Howard looked like they were pulling away in the bottom of the third, as Layla Walker (Laurel, MD/Hammond) stole home when an attempt to throw out Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) at second rolled into the outfield, Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) slapped a single that scored Webb, and Taylor Pence (Mt. Airy, MD/Glenelg) scored on a sacrifice ground out from Madison Hamolia (Odenton, MD/Arundel). The 4-1 lead wouldn't hold, as Harford surged ahead in the fourth. After a pair of RBI singles from Alyssa Lattimore and Katelyn McCullough, Kayla Gist emptied the bases with a massive double, giving Harford a 6-4 lead.

The back and fourth battle continued in the bottom of the fourth, as Katherine Wright (Dayton, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) and Gianna Peluso (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge) scored on a throwing error to tie the game at 6-6. Taylor Pence (Mt. Airy, MD/Glenelg) then hit a towering home run to take an 8-6 lead over the Fighting Owls. Harford closed in to just one run in the fifth when Lattimore smacked a double down the left field line, but Howard finally snatched back momentum in the bottom of the inning. Hamolia scored on a Peluso single, and Walker hit another sacrifice bunt to make it 10-7. The Dragons then added one last run in the bottom of the sixth off a sacrifice fly from Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty).

The Fighting Owls had one last chance to take the game, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh to retake the lead. The 11-10 lead would be quickly overtaken by Howard, as Peluso legged out the tying run on an error. Jensyn Koonce (Chesapeake, VA/Greatbridge) then smacked a single to right field to bring home the winning run, walking off the Fighting Owls and giving Howard a sweep on the afternoon.

Peluso went 4-5 from the line with three runs scored. Koonce scored three RBIs and secured her fourth pitching win of the season in an excellent afternoon.

Up Next: The Dragons travel across the bay to face Chesapeake College in a crucial Region 20 showdown on Wednesday, April 15 at 3:00 PM.