By Roy Harper
BEL AIR, Md. — In a matchup that lived up to its billing as a clash of Region 20 powers, Potomac State delivered a statement victory in game one before Harford responded with a thunderous display of power in game two, resulting in a doubleheader split on Saturday afternoon at the Harford Varsity Field complex.
In the opener, Potomac State jumped out early and rode the right-arm of Brock Whipkey to a 10-4 win. In the nightcap, Harford regained its power-stoke and easily cruised to a 20-0 win.
In the opener, Potomac State used patience in the first inning as the Harford starter struggled to throw strikes. After a pair of two-out walks by John Mallow and Jaxon Drennen, Cal Miller hit a chopper to third that forced an error by Harford's third baseman to allow two runs to score making it 2-0.
In the second inning, the same approach paid off again. Seth Healy, Braden Sloan and Tate Musko worked their way aboard with three walks, and Lex Wescott followed with a bases-loaded walk to score a run. Moments later, Jaxon Drennen grounded out to plate another run, extending the lead to 4-0.
The Catamounts used the base on balls as a weapon again in the third inning leading to a five-run surge that broke the game open. Tate Musko sparked the rally with an RBI single, Wescott followed with another run-scoring knock, and Drennen delivered with a bases-clearing double down the right-field line that pushed the margin to 9-0.
While the offense scored in each of the first three innings, Brock Whipkey quietly controlled the game on the mound. The right-hander worked all seven innings, scattering six hits while allowing four runs—only three earned—and navigating six walks with composure. He limited damage when Harford threatened, notably in the fifth when a two-run home run from the Owls' Jaxon Kehoe briefly gave the home side life, and again in the late innings by forcing weak contact and avoiding the big inning.
Potomac State added an insurance run in the sixth on Peyton Blue's RBI single, while Whipkey shut the door over the final two frames, sealing a 10-4 victory that snapped Harford's remarkable 35-game winning streak.
Game two belonged entirely to Harford's explosive offense. The Fighting Owls erupted for 13 runs in the first inning, sending 18 hitters to the plate.
The power display only intensified in the second inning. Jack Fitzpatrick launched a two-run homer, James Asmus followed with another blast, and Harford continued to apply pressure with extra-base hits and disciplined approaches at the plate. By the end of the second, the lead had ballooned to 18-0.
Harford tacked on additional runs in the third and fourth, including a solo home run from Luke Keefer, finishing with 20 runs on 12 hits in a dominant offensive showcase.
Potomac State, meanwhile, found limited offensive rhythm against a sharp Harford pitching staff. The Catamounts managed just five hits, including multi-hit efforts from Caden Johnson and singles from Lex Wescott and John Mallow.
The doubleheader encapsulated everything expected from two Region 20 heavyweights. Potomac State's disciplined, gritty performance in game one proved it can compete with—and beat—the best, highlighted by Whipkey's complete-game effort and a lineup that consistently delivered quality at-bats.
Harford's response in game two, powered by home runs and relentless offensive pressure, reaffirmed its status as a powerhouse capable of overwhelming opponents in an instant.