By Roy Harper

LOUISBURG, N.C. - Potomac State won the opener 5-3 and fell in the nightcap Saturday night at Louisburg College on a walk off Hurricane win 6-5.

In the opener Potomac State received a well-pitched game from a pair of right-handers.

Evan Jenkins made his second start of the young season.  Jenkins worked through 3 1/3 innings, striking out two and allowing two runs.  Brock Whipkey took over in the fourth and delivered a dominant relief performance. Whipkey tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out six to earn the win

Potomac State blasted three home runs to power the offense.

Jaxon Drennen got things started in the second inning with a two-run shot to put the Catamounts on the board.  It was his first home run of the season.

Louisburg answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run from Clifton Olmedo to tie the score.

Potomac State regained the lead in the third when John Mallow scored on a fielder's choice from Peyton Blue.

Louisburg tied the score at 3-all on a solo home run from Gavin Baucom.

The Catamounts delivered the decisive blows in the eighth inning. Peyton Blue crushed a go-ahead solo home run, and moments later Callen Miller followed with a solo blast of his own to stretch the lead to 5–3.

Head Coach Doug Little was pleased on several fronts.

"Evan and Brock gave us great work on the mound," Little said.  "Plus we hit some home runs, when you consider that it is this early in the season and we have only been outside a few days, those are good things."

Whipkey's command and composure shut down Louisburg's momentum and preserved the Catamount advantage as the freshman threw 45 strikes in 68 pitches.

"He (Whipkey) has a chance to be really good, and to be so sharp in his first outing was impressive," said Little.

The Catamounts pounded out seven hits and drew six walks while Louisburg had five hits and drew five walks.

The nightcap looked poised to give Potomac State a sweep as they held a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning.

Trailing 1–0, the Catamounts answered with a five-run surge across the third and fourth innings. Jaxon Drennen delivered an RBI single, Callen Miller added a run-scoring hit, and Lex Wescott came through with a clutch two-RBI single to cap the rally and give Potomac State that 5–1 lead

The early offense was backed by solid work from PSC starter Gavin Bennett, who struck out five over 3 1/3 innings

At that point Louisburg began to chip away.

A home run in the fourth inning from Connor Wright ignited the comeback, and the Hurricanes steadily closed the gap before tying the game in the sixth  

In the seventh inning, Louisburg delivered the decisive RBI single from Payton Shipman from the walk-off 6–5 win

LC's Brendan Chamberlain delivered a key three-inning relief appearance to earn the win, holding Potomac State scoreless over the final frames to seal the victory.

Potomac State was outhit 15-8 in the nightcap.