Going small came up big Thursday for Polk County.
The Wolverines fashioned a four-run rally with timely bunting and aggressive base running, the big fourth inning sparking a 6-3 win over Madison in a Western Highlands Conference matchup at Polk.
The win in its league opener improved Polk County to 3-2 overall, 1-0 in conference play. Madison dropped to 2-2, 0-1.
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Daniel Painter and Konner Scruggs teamed to strike out 11 Patriots, allowing seven hits in a game where emotions ran high early after Painter was hit by a pitch in the second inning. Polk County quickly reined in its passions and then took the upper hand in the fourth.
JD Edwards reached first to open the inning on an error, then moved to second when Madison pitcher Ty Roberts threw wide of the base on Noah Howell’s sacrifice bunt attempt. Painter then also bunted, but a throw to third was too late to force Edwards, loading the bases. With the infield in, Tyler Campbell then bounced a single up the middle to score both Edwards and Howell.
Bryce Martin then dropped another bunt and beat the throw to first, with the throw sailing past first base and into the outfield. His arm windmilling in the third-base coaching box until one wondered if it might fall off, Polk head coach Ty Stott waved both Painter and Campbell home to give Polk a 6-2 lead.
Mark Mazzilli followed with a single to left to put runners on second and third with no outs, but Madison reliever Trent Jones struck out the next three batters to escape further damage.
“We had a great inning. We put the ball in play and played small ball,” Stott said. “We ran the bases and played very aggressively. That may have been the best inning of small ball we’ve ever played here.
“Of course we had second and third with no outs and didn’t score again. We have to do a better job of learning how to put the ball in play with two strikes.”
Making his first start of the season, Painter made that four-run lead stand in five innings of work in which he struck out eight, including five straight batters at one point. Madison opened the game with three straight hits for its two runs but didn’t score again against Painter, who also worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth.
Scruggs made his fourth appearance of the season, though his first in relief, in the sixth, cruising until Madison put together back-to-back hits with two outs in the seventh for a run, then added a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Scruggs then struck out Jones to end the game.
“Daniel settled down early. He was a totally different pitcher from the first inning to the next,” Stott said. “He really took control like a number one starter should. Konner came in and pitched and was good enough to get the save. He got the out when he needed it.”
After Madison scored two in the top of the first, the Wolverines answered with a pair of runs in the bottom. Martin legged out an infield hit, Mazzilli followed with the first of his three hits in the game and Scruggs sacrificed the runners to second and third. One out later, Dequan Gary drilled a double into the gap in left-center to drive home both runs.
“This is a big conference win. Since this conference started we’ve been 1-0 every year except last year, so we’re used to being 1-0,” Stott said. “We’re going to Mountain Heritage next week and that won’t be easy. This conference is about as evenly balanced as it’s ever been.
“Madison brings a lot of passion and a lot of enthusiasm. I thought our pitchers handled that well. I’m very proud of the guys for winning the battle on the scoreboard. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. It’s just a matter of keeping our focus on one game at a time.”
