COCKEYSVILLE, Md. – Two Baltimore County friends walked into Maryland Lottery headquarters Thursday with disbelief still written on their faces, claiming a $50,000 Powerball prize they never expected to win.

The pair, who only buy tickets occasionally, joined the rush when the jackpot soared past $500 million. They pooled their money in hopes of hitting the record-setting $1.8 billion prize but instead landed one of Powerball’s third-tier payouts.

One of the winners, a construction manager, admitted he was already planning to buy more tickets after learning the jackpot had rolled. His lottery partner, an interior decorator, was the first to spot the surprise prize.

“I checked it five or six times before picking up the phone, just to be 100% sure. Every time it said $50,000,” she said, recalling the moment she called her friend with the news.

Even after claiming the winnings in Baltimore, both said they are still processing the reality of the windfall. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet, for either of us,” they told Lottery officials.

The winning ticket was sold at the Wawa on York Road in Cockeysville, which will also benefit from the sale. The duo said they plan to continue buying tickets as the jackpot grows, keeping their sights set on the record Powerball drawing scheduled for Friday.

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Key Points

Two Cockeysville friends won $50,000 in Powerball while chasing the billion-dollar jackpot.
They checked the ticket multiple times before believing the prize was real.
The winning ticket was sold at a Wawa convenience store in Baltimore County.

For these friends, the jackpot dream is still alive, but $50,000 is a prize worth celebrating.

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