Waynesville Middle opened a 4-1 lead after the first inning Thursday, then held off a Polk County Middle School comeback en route to a 7-4 win in Blue Ridge Middle School Conference baseball action in Waynesville.
The Mountaineers turned three singles, a walk, a hit batter and an error into four runs in the first after Polk County had taken a 1-0 lead. Elijah Sutton singled to open the game, moved to second on Clark Phipps’ sacrifice bunt, then scored on Wilson Edwards’ single.
Trailing 4-1, the Wolverines (3-5) began to rally in the third. Sutton again singled to open the inning, then stole second. Walks to Phipps and Edwards loaded the bases, and another walk to Holden Owens scored a run.
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But then came perhaps the defining moment of the game, as Waynesville turned a triple play, going 6-4-3-2. Phipps scored on the play, but the Mountaineers escaped further damage and retained a 4-3 lead.
Waynesville built the lead to 7-3 before Polk County rallied again in the seventh. Kyler Scruggs singled, then moved to second when Sutton reached on an error. Phipps then singled to drive home Scruggs and put runners on second and third. But Waynesville got the final out of the inning to end the game.
Sutton finished 2-for-4 to lead Polk Middle, which returns home Monday to host Madison Middle at 4:30 p.m.
