Wolverines remain in conference baseball race with key win at Avery

Morgan Groves and Konner Scruggs combined for a four-hitter to lift Polk County to a key 6-4 win Tuesday over Avery in Western Highlands Conference baseball action in Newland.

With the win, the Wolverines (7-8, 5-4) remain in the hunt for one of the two WHC automatic playoff berths as well as alive in the conference championship race. Hendersonville and 1A Mitchell each have two conference losses while Owen has three league defeats. Polk County plays all three of those teams in the next two weeks, beginning with a trip to Mitchell on Wednesday.

The Wolverines scored two runs in the top of the first and extended the lead to 5-0 before Avery rallied in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four times. Scruggs entered the game in the sixth and stopped the Viking rally, then pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the save.

Groves allowed just three hits and struck out two in five-plus innings of work to earn the win.

Bryce Martin had two hits, including a home run, to lead the Polk offense.