Wolverines use long ball, Scruggs to chill Cherokee

In weather most suited Tuesday for long underwear, Polk County’s softball team rolled out its long ball attack.

The Wolverines had five extra-base hits, clanking a handful of balls against the outfield fence, en route to a 11-0 rout of visiting Cherokee in a chilly non-conference game.

It marked the second straight game-shortened win for Polk (2-0) due to a 10-run lead after five innings. And just like the first, this one also featured a stellar pitching performance from freshman Ashley Scruggs to back a balanced offensive display.

Scruggs allowed just one hit, a single to open the game, struck out 11 and retired the final 13 batters in order.

“I thought Ashley pitched a real gem,” said Polk County head coach Jeff Wilson. “And we just made plays when they did put the ball in play.”

Cherokee, meanwhile, struggled on defense, and the Wolverines seized upon every miscue, especially in the second inning, when Polk scored six runs to take command.

A throwing error following Scruggs’ infield hit allowed her to circle the bases as well as score Ashley Kropp, who walked to open the inning. Brandi Cordell also walked before Alexis McCraw drilled a double to left field, scoring Cordell. Carolyn Cough sacrificed McCraw to third, from where she scored on Kassidy Reynolds’ double to center, giving Polk a 4-0 lead.

One out later, Hayley Kropp ripped a ball to left field that soared past a charging Cherokee outfielder. The ball rolled to the fence, and Kropp circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run, two RBI and a 6-0 Polk lead.

The Wolverines then closed the game with four runs in the fifth. Cordell crushed a double to the fence in right-center, McCraw singled to left and Couch blooped a single to left to load the bases. Reynolds singled home one run before an error on Maddy Foy’s grounder allowed two more runs to score. Hayley Kropp then laced a triple to left-center field to score the final two runs of the game.

“We hit all the way through the lineup,” Wilson said. “We made things happen.

“We had fun today. We had a lot of fun today because that was a quality pitcher we faced.”

Hayley Kropp had two hits and four RBI to lead Polk County. McCraw was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Reynolds was 2-for2 with two RBI.