Noah Harden did everything he could Wednesday to give Polk County a winning start to its baseball season.
The senior pitched five hitless innings, collected two hits at the plate and drove in the Wolverines’ only run. But Polk County couldn’t capitalize on its opportunities, leaving the bases loaded three times, and R-S Central rallied for six sixth-inning runs to claim a 6-1 victory in the season opener for both teams.
Harden held the Hilltoppers hitless through five innings before R-S Central broke through in the sixth with a combination of timely hitting and Polk County errors to erase the Wolverines’ 1-0 lead.
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Polk County had taken that advantage in the third when Gunnar Alm led off with a single and scored on Harden’s RBI single. But the Wolverines left the bases loaded in that inning – just as they had in the first – and couldn’t add to their lead.
The missed opportunities proved costly when R-S Central broke through in the sixth, opening the inning with a walk, two infield base hits and a bloop single to center to take a 2-1 advantage. The Hilltoppers had all four of their hits in the frame, also taking advantage of three walks, two wild pitches and two Wolverine errors.
The Wolverines finished with eight hits but left 11 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the first, third and seventh innings and two runners stranded in the fifth.
Harden and Gavin Waldbillig each had two hits, while Alm, Alex Perry, Nate Fagan and Cooper Meyer each added one.
Harden took the loss despite his dominant start, allowing four earned runs on three hits in five innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Fagan pitched one inning in relief, allowing two unearned runs.
R-S Central’s Simon Sheehan struck out 11 Wolverines in 6 2/3 innings while allowing eight hits and one run.
Polk County travels to Erwin on Friday.
