Another big game, another impressive performance by Polk County’s rapidly maturing softball squad.
The Wolverines kept alive Monday their hopes for a second-place finish in the Western Highlands Conference, defeating current No. 2 Mountain Heritage 8-2 in WHC action at Polk County.
The win moved Polk County (14-4, 7-3) a half-game behind Mountain Heritage in the conference standings, with the Cougars still having one more matchup with conference power Madison. Polk County still has conference dates remaining with Owen and Hendersonville, but a loss Monday would have ended the Wovlerines’ hopes of catching Mountain Heritage. The conference runner-up is assured of at least one home playoff game, with the third-place squad slated to begin the postseason on the road.
Get PolkSports delivered to your inbox
Sign up for our free newsletter →
“I couldn’t ask for much better performance in all phases of the game,” said Polk County head coach Jeff Wilson. “One of those being intensity. The girls flat out wanted to win.”
Indeed, in winning its fourth straight game, Polk County displayed much the same traits it did in Thursday’s 11-2 win over North Henderson. The Wolverines put balls in play offensively, played steady defense and watched opposing miscues lead to runs. They also got solid pitching from Ashley Scruggs, who effectively mixed up pitches to keep Cougar batters off-balance and recorded several of her nine strikeouts on balls up and out of the strike zone.
The Cougars hammered Polk for 20 hits in a 10-9 win earlier this month. Mountain Heritage had just six hits on Monday.
“We made several adjustments to our game plan,” Wilson said. “We did some more research on their hitters and had a good focus on what we wanted to do.
“(Scruggs) battles. She’s a winner mentally. She has a mature focus to her game even though she’s a freshman. She’s pitched in a lot of big games for her travel team, so this stage is not too big for her.”
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the first as Sarah Presnell doubled and scored on Megan Mencis’ single. Polk immediately answered in its half of the first with three runs, taking a lead it would never relinquish.
Back-to-back singles by Brittany Jones and Hayley Kropp, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Scruggs, led to the Wolverines’ first run when Jones scored on a wild pitch. Kropp then scored when Ashley Kropp singled to center. Courtesy runner Katelyn Allison moved to second, then third, on a passed ball and wild pitch before Maddy Foy singled to center to drive in Allison.
Polk added two runs in the second inning to build a 5-1 edge. Brandi Cordell reached second on a Mountain Heritage throwing error, and Kinsley Jackson reached base when her third strike eluded the catcher, allowing Cordell to move to third. Jackson’s attempt to steal second didn’t draw a throw, and one out later Hayley Kropp drilled a single to left to drive home Cordell. Scruggs’ infielder grounder brought home Jackson for the four-run lead.
Heritage cut the lead to 5-2 in the third, but the Wolverines put the game out of reach with two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth. Ashley Kropp started the rally in the fifth with a one-out single. Alexis McCraw then hit a ground ball to third, but the throw to first sailed and rolled deep into the outfield, allowing courtesy runner Allison to score and McCraw to reach third. McCraw then beat the throw to the plate on Foy’s bunt for a 7-2 lead.
Jones drilled a double to left to open the sixth, moved to third on Hayley Kropp’s single and scored on Scruggs’ grounder.
“I want to compliment Brittany Jones for her good defensive play,” Wilson said. “I felt like she did well. And our outfield did a good job making the routine plays.
“I feel like our team has grown to understand how to win big games. You rally behind the pitcher, you make plays defensively and you’ve got to score at every opportunity, that mentality of trying to get a run any way you can. Who knows when that run is going to matter.”
Hayley Kropp had three hits, Jones and Ashley Kropp each had two and Scruggs drove in two runs to lead Polk’s offense.
The Wolverines travel to Owen on Friday for another key conference battle.
