By Roy Harper
Wednesday afternoon at Golden Park was typical matchup between Potomac State and visiting Hagerstown Community College. A close one.
Potomac State seemed to be in control for most of the game before the Hawks made a furious comeback late, to tie the game. The Catamounts then rallied for a late 11-7 win.
Potomac State struck first in the third, manufacturing a run the old-fashioned way. Lex Wescott ignited the inning with aggressive baserunning, swiping second, moving to third on an error and eventually coming around to score when Jaxon Drennen rolled a ground ball to third that was enough to push the Catamounts in front, 1–0.
In the fourth inning Seth Healy, Evan Swainand Braden Sloan each worked their way aboard, setting the stage for Tate Musko, who delivered the game's first big swing—a sharp single that plated two and stretched the lead. Moments later, Wescott stayed hot, lining a run-scoring single of his own to make it 4–0, the Catamounts stacking quality at-bats in waves.
Meanwhile, PSC starter Gavin Bennett was carving. Through five innings, the right-hander allowed little more than scattered contact, commanding both sides of the plate. His final line—seven innings, three hits, one unearned run, five strikeouts. The effort was good enough for a win, but instead he received a no decision.
Hagerstown scratched across its first run in the fifth, capitalizing on a defensive miscue to trim the margin to 4–1, but Bennett quickly shut the door with a strikeout.
The Catamounts answered in the sixth with authority. Wescott and Musko once again sparked the rally, both reaching base before Drennen delivered the key blow—a two-run single that pushed the lead to 6–1. Peyton Blue then worked a walk with the bases loaded, forcing in another run and extending the advantage to 7–1.
Hagerstown erupted for six runs, stringing together doubles, opportunistic baserunning, and capitalizing on errors to erase the deficit entirely.
In the bottom of the eighth, Callen Miller ignited the inning, reaching base with a double to right-center and then moved to third on a wild pitch. Peyton Blue followed with a sharp single to reclaim the lead, driving in the go-ahead run at 8–7.
Later the Catamounts loaded the bases and Musko delivered again—lining a two-run single into the outfield that broke the game open, scoring Seth Healy and Brayden Harris to push the margin to 10–7. It was his fourth RBI of the day.
Not to be outdone, John Mallow capped the inning with a ringing double, bringing home another run and stretching the lead to 11–7.
Drennen came on in the ninth to close it, working through the traffic with a pair of walks to end the game.