After a tough-luck loss at Avery County earlier this week, Polk County softball welcomed a rematch with the Vikings on Friday.
This time, they found a way to win.
Polk built a huge lead and held on for a 12-10 triumph, claiming their second victory of the season.
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“We hit it well early,” Polk County coach Phillip Miller said. “We ran the bases really well. And when we had some trouble there at the end, we were able to get out of it.”
Polk County fell behind after a half inning as Addison Herbert doubled to drive in Caroline Hollifield to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead. It was the last time the Wolverines would trail.
They answered in the first, knotting it at 1-1 when Aslyn Scruggs led off being hit by a pitch, advanced to second and scored on Lucy Tessnair’s triple to right field. Then, they took the lead in emphatic fashion in the second.
Camdyn Israel-Garrett hit an inside-the-park homer to start the fireworks, making it 2-1. The Wolverines scored four more in the frame. Ava Evans drove in Kendall Taylor, Tori Colie singled to score Evans, Amiyah Walters, running for Colie, stole home, and Junie Mitchell scored on Kinsley Lancaster’s RBI grounder to make it 6-1 after two innings.
The Wolverines continued to pour it on in the third, and this time it was with a little two-out noise. Taylor and Lancaster reached to start the inning, but two outs left them at first and second. But a double steal put them at second and third, and Colie drove them both home. Waters scored as a pinch runner a second time on Mitchell’s hard-hit ball to short, the first of three straight Wolverine runs to score courtesy of errors. When the dust settled on the third inning, Polk led 12-1.
This time, they were able to keep that advantage. Avery scored four in the fourth, two in the fifth and two more in the nerve-wracking seventh, but the Wolverines were able to survive and pull out the win.
That, as much as anything, shows Miller progress.
“We’re getting better every day,” he said. “We’re young, and we’re learning how to play the game. And tonight, we were able to take advantage of some things and find a way to win.”
