Arnold, MD - Behind a dominant hitting display, the Howard Community College Dragons secured a crucial pair of conference wins Wednesday evening over the Anne Arundel Community College Riverhawks.

Howard hit four total home runs and scored 22 total runs over the two-game series as their offense showed out. The wins move the Dragons to 14-12 on the season and 7-5 in conference play. With only three more Region 20 series left on the year, the Dragons find themselves with a chance of securing their first top-four seed in program history.

Game One: Dragons 10, Riverhawks 1
Howard set the tone early in game one, taking a 5-0 lead after back-to-back home runs from Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) and Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) lit up the Riverhawks defense in the top of the first. Anne Arundel got a runner aboard in the bottom of the inning and managed to get her home to make it 5-1, but that would be as close as they could get.

An RBI single from Jensyn Koonce (Chesapeake, VA/Greatbridge) made it 6-1 Dragons in the second, before the game became a pitchers duel between Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) and Anne Arundel's Lindsay Cavey. Cavey struck out three batters and kept the Dragons scoreless over the next three innings, but Webb struck out six batters in an excellent performance.

Back-to-back singles from Steele and Kaylee Brogan (Woodbine, MD/Glenelg) opened the floodgates for the Dragons in the top of the sixth, allowing them to score a run-rule victory over the Riverhawks. Steele's two runs, two hits, and five total RBI marked a season-best performance at the plate, while the Dragons offense racked up 13 total hits to just two from the Riverhawks.

Game Two: Dragons 11, Riverhawks 9
Game two was the polar opposite of game one, as the Dragons and Riverhawks took turns slugging away at each other. Howard once again set the tone in the top of the first, scoring five runs five different ways to take a 5-0 lead. Once again, the Riverhawks added a run in the bottom of the inning, and once again, the Dragons scored in the second to make it 6-1.

The similarities to game one ended their, as Anne Arundel exploded on the Dragons in the bottom of the second. Five runs scored to tie the contest at 6-6. The Dragons retook the lead in the third off RBI singles from Kaylee Brogan (Woodbine, MD/Glenelg) and Katherine Wright (Dayton, MD/Mount de Sales Academy), but the Riverhawks answered right back with two runs of their own to tie the game at 9-9. For every shot the Dragons had, the Riverhawks could answer right back.

After a pitching change brought Jensyn Koonce (Chesapeake, VA/Greatbridge) to the mound, Howard's defense clamped down on the Riverhawks. Koonce struck out four batters and Anne Arundel failed to score another run all game. Taylor Pence (Mt. Airy, MD/Glenelg) and Marissa Webb (Hanover, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) broke the tie in the top of the fifth with consecutive home runs, and after Koonce shut down the Riverhawks over the next three innings, Howard secured the 11-9 victory and the sweep of their rivals.

The Dragons totaled ten hits in their win, with four extra base hits. Koonce and starting pitcher Sophia Steele (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) logged seven total strikeouts, and seven different Dragons had an RBI.

Up Next: Howard faces Harford Community College on Saturday, April 11 for their annual Strikeout Cancer Games at 12:00.