Owen entered Thursday’s conference clash with Polk County featuring freshman pitcher Jaiden Tweed, the hard-throwing phenom who has garnered headlines around the area for her strikeout totals and seven-pitch repertoire.
The Wolverines countered with a pretty good arm of their own in sophomore Ashley Scruggs, who matched Tweed strikeout for strikeout in helping lead Polk County to a 3-2 win in Western Highlands Conference action in Swannanoa.
Tweed allowed six hits, three runs, walked four and struck out eight in the win. Scruggs allowed four hits, two runs, walked four and struck out eight, none more important than her final one, coming with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and the tying run on third base.
Get PolkSports delivered to your inbox
Sign up for our free newsletter →
“It was definitely a pitching duel, and Tweed is as advertised,” said Polk County head coach Jeff Wilson. “But so is Ashley Scruggs. She showed her heart and stepped up in the bottom of the seventh and struck out their number two hitter with the tying run on third base in one of her finest pitching performances of the season.”
Polk County took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Autumn Owen tripled and scored on an Owen error. The Wolverines added a run in the fifth as Haley Fowler singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Maranda Gosnell’s base hit. Polk upped the lead to 3-0 in the sixth, scoring with two outs as Fowler got caught in a rundown between first and second, but avoided the out long enough for Alexis McCraw to score from third.
Fowler and Gosnell each had two hits, with Owen and Hayley Kropp adding the Wolverines’ other hits.
Now 7-1, 4-0, Polk County is at home on Friday, hosting the Asheville Trailblazers at 4 p.m.
