By Roy Harper

Keyser, W.Va — The rhythm of a spring doubleheader can often hinge on pitching—on tone-setters and tone-finishers. On Saturday afternoon, Potomac State found both. In game one, it was Jaxon Drennen dictating tempo with overpowering precision. In game two, Jayden Lester slammed the door with quiet authority, preserving a decisive sweep over Shenandoah 7-0 and 13-5.

In the first, the Catamounts struck quickly. With pressure mounting, Drennen lined a single to plate the game's first run. He then swiped second, and a throwing error allowed another run to cross, staking Potomac State to a 2–0 lead.

That early cushion was more than enough for Drennen, who was untouchable on the mound. Mixing command with swing-and-miss stuff, he carved through Shenandoah's lineup, piling up 12 strikeouts over 5.2 shutout innings, allowing just two hits.

The game broke open in the fourth. With runners on, Braden Sloan ripped a two-run double into the gap, igniting a four-run inning. A sacrifice fly from Seth Healy added another, and a wild pitch plated yet another run, turning a tight contest into a runaway at 6–0.

Potomac State tacked on one more in the sixth when John Mallow delivered an RBI single, but by then the outcome had long been decided. Behind Drennen's dominance and a 10-hit offensive attack, the Catamounts secured a 7–0 shutout victory, setting the tone for the afternoon.

Game two opened with a different script—and early adversity.

Shenandoah came out swinging, plating three runs in the first on a two-run double and an RBI single, then adding another in the second to take a 4–0 lead before Potomac State could settle in.

But the Catamounts responded like a team unwilling to let momentum slip.

In the second, Braden Sloan's RBI double got Potomac State on the board. An inning later, Lex Wescott and Callen Miller delivered back-to-back RBI hits to cut the deficit to one. By the fourth, a sacrifice fly from Wescott tied the game at 4–4, resetting the game.

After Shenandoah briefly reclaimed the lead in the fifth, the Catamounts rebounded quickly.

Callen Miller launched a two-run home run to give Potomac State its first lead of the game, and moments later Sloan added another RBI to extend it.

In the sixth inning, Potomac State erupted for six runs. With the bases loaded, Jaxon Drennen drew a walk to force in a run. Miller followed with a bases-clearing double, blowing the game open. Tate Musko added an RBI triple, and Braeden Oviedo capped the inning with a run-scoring double.

While the offense running smoothly, Jayden Lester authored the quiet masterpiece that secured the win. Entering in relief after a shaky start by Brock Whipkey, Lester stabilized everything—working four innings, allowing just one run and one hit while striking out five. He changed speeds, attacked the zone, and never let Shenandoah regain footing.