Polk County played well Wednesday in its state 2A softball playoff opener against South Stokes.
The Wolverines also played smart, and that helped Polk survive and advance as much as anything.
Polk County began its postseason journey on a winning note, outlasting a tough South Stokes squad 2-1 in a first-round 2A West playoff game at Polk.
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The Wolverines (20-3), the second seed in the 2A West bracket, will now face another challenge in 18th-seeded Brevard (19-4), who edged West Stokes 1-0 in a nine-inning thriller in its playoff opener. The Blue Devils are led by junior pitcher Casey Gilbert, who struck out 14 and held West Stokes to three hits in Wednesday’s win. That game will be played Saturday at Polk County at a time to be determined.
Of course, Polk County has its own standout pitcher in sophomore Ashley Scruggs, who scattered four hits against South Stokes. Scruggs also got quality support from the Polk defense, especially in the sixth inning.
A rare Polk error and a single put runners on first and second with one out in the top of the inning. Paige Rideout then hit a soft liner up the middle that perfectly split the Polk infield. That drove in one run, but Wolverine center fielder Alexis McCraw charged the ball and fired a strike to catcher Ashley Kropp to seemingly stop South Stokes runners from advancing any further.
But Kropp noticed the South Stokes runner at second had gone a bit too far past the base on the throw, so she fired a strike to shortstop Hayley Kropp at the base. Kropp tagged out the runner for the inning’s second out, ending the Sauras’ best scoring threat of the game.
“Humongous,” said Polk County head coach Jeff Wilson of the play. “They had some good hitters coming up, and if they only had one out they had a bunt situation. That would two runners in scoring position and one hit and now they’re up 3-2.
“I have a lot of confidence in (Kropp). She saw an opportunity. Players have got to make plays.”
A heady play also helped Polk score its two runs against the Sauras, who finished 11-15 in a season in which they played much of the year without their two best players, including sophomore standout Katie Manring. Manring returned Wednesday after missing 20-plus games, but finished 0-for-3.
Autumn Owen opened the bottom of the first with a single, stole second and then moved to third on Hayley Kropp’s single. Maranda Gosnell followed with a fly ball to right, but not deep enough for Owen to tag and score. But the throw to the plate bounced awry, and Owen smartly raced home for the first run, with Kropp making her way to third. She then scored on a wild pitch to give Polk a 2-0 lead.
“She made that decision,” Wilson said of Owen’s play. “I’m very proud of the girls for the way they think, their softball IQ and their presence of mind and what they can do with that in big-time situations.
“I felt like the key to the game was that our infield made plays, our outfield didn’t miss anything and Scruggs is Scruggs. She moved the ball in and out, up and down with a kind of patient aggressiveness.”
