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Gaithersburg Post 104 outfielder Anthony Howard has had a memorable last 48 hours. On Thursday, the recent Quince Orchard graduate was drafted by the Kansas Royals in the 47th round of the Major League Baseball Draft.

On Friday, he showed why.

Howard clubbed monstrous home runs in his first two at-bats, leading an offensive explosion in Post 104's 13-8 victory over Damascus Post 171 at Sherwood High. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound centerfielder hardly needed help from the short, 289-foot fence in right field, reaching the back of the parking lot on his two bombs.

He nearly homered in his third plate appearance as well, sending a line drive off the top of the wall in right center.

"I'm not happy yet; once that day comes when I'm signed, then I can get happy," said Howard, who will join the Royals for Spring Training in Arizona if he's signed in the upcoming week. "For now, I've got to keep on working. And today? I was just seeing it well."

Howard is the third Post 104 player to be drafted in the last four years. Clemson University (S.C.) pitcher Kevin Brady (Gaithersburg High) was drafted by Baltimore in the 44th round of last year's draft, while Los Angeles of Anaheim took third baseman Matt Sweeney (Magruder) with a 2006 eighth-round pick.

But it wasn't just Howard on Friday night. Post 104 slugged 14 hits off Post 171 pitchers Adam Abramson, Kyle Schindel and Chris Cross, and broke the game open with a five-run third inning. Howard plated shortstop Kory Smigocki with nobody down, while Robbie Shanley, Mike Murphy and Nick Vergelli all drove in runs. Matt Miller also tripled during the rally.

Sidearmer Nick Riley went 4 1/3 innings to pick up his third win of the summer for Post 104, who now only trails unbeaten Gaithersburg Post 205 in the standings at 4-2.

"We're even missing a couple of our best hitters; Ben Silverman, who's normally our catcher, is hitting the ball extremely well but is actually at Beach Week," said Post 104 coach Joe Stolz. "We can definitely be in this thing at the end. There's no dominant team in the county. Post 295 is good for sure, but there's no one we can't beat."

The Post 171 offense was paced by A.J. Bowman, who reached base in each of his five plate appearances, while Anthony Papio doubled and drove in two runs.