Polk County put forth the performance that head coach Ty Stott had been waiting all season to see – and put quite a scare into the state’s top-ranked baseball team in the process.
Hendersonville rolled onto the Polk County campus on Tuesday undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the latest 2A state baseball poll. The Bearcats left Tuesday night with both accolades intact, but it took a five-run seventh-inning outburst to secure an 11-6 win and keep the Bearcats’ record unblemished.
Polk County (7-15, 5-7) put together a pair of three-run innings, one in the first for an early 3-0 advantage, the other in the fifth to rally for a 6-5 lead. The Wolverines escaped jams, made plays and forced Hendersonville (20-0, 12-0) to earn its perfect Western Highlands Conference finish.
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“We had to be beat. We didn’t give up the win,” Stott said. “They had to win it.”
Win it, Hendersonville did in the top of the seventh. Noah Linhart opened the inning with a double to left, Justin Sparks dropped down a perfect bunt single and Michael Schmidt was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Derrik Doyle then hit a screaming grounder that stayed just inside the third-base line and rolled deep into the left-field corner, a double that cleared the bases and gave the Bearcats a 9-6 lead. Doyle scored on Samuel Linn’s single to right, and Linn later scored on Caleb Williamson’s single to center. The Bearcats then loaded the bases before Tyler Campbell came in to pitch and induced an inning-ending double play.
It marked the first time all evening that Hendersonville’s portion of an overflow crowd could relax. Polk County landed the first blow of the game in the first, as Bryce Martin drilled a one-out triple, Campbell walked and then senior Wes Brady, one of three seniors honored in their final home game, launched a three-run homer to right-center field.
Sparks matched that blast with one of his own to open the second inning, and Schmidt and Doyle followed with back-to-back doubles to make it a 3-2 game. Doyle later scored on Blake Lyda’s sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3.
Hendersonville took the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth, but back came the Wolverines in the bottom half of the inning. J.D. Edwards singled to open the inning, Martin beat out an infield single and Campbell reached on a bunt, with Edwards able to score on the play. At that point, Hendersonville opted to bring in Linn, the 6-9 senior who has signed with College of Charleston, in relief of Linhart. Linn struck out both Brady and Morgan Groves, but Mark Mazilli and Konner Scruggs each singled to right to drive in a run and give Polk County a 6-5 lead.
Hendersonville answered with a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game and set the stage for the seventh.
“We didn’t give up. I’ve been looking for that for 21 games and I found it tonight,” Stott said. “I don’t know how to get that out of them. That comes from within themselves. They cared about it, they wanted it and they showed what they could do.
“We played the number one team in the state and we weren’t scared and went after them. We didn’t play a perfect game, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the effort. That’s definitely a good sign.”
Linn struck out six in three innings to earn the win. Martin had two hits to lead Polk, which concludes its season on Friday at East Henderson.
“The seniors needed this. It was fun,” Stott said. “I’m very happy with the effort, the intensity and the teamwork. It was a different atmosphere, a different vibe, one I’ve been looking for all season.”
