In a scenario that is becoming all too familiar to opponents, the Wolverines overpowered yet another conference rival by shutout, this time whitewashing the Vikings of Avery County by a score of 11-0 in five innings at Polk County High School Friday, March 25.
Polk’s Roberto Taft pitched his first complete game of the season, allowing just two base hits while walking none. Taft struck out 10 as no Avery batter made it past first base in the contest.
Although Polk batters managed to touch up Avery starter Dustin Clarke for five runs in the first three innings, the outcome was still very much in question until the fourth inning, when reliever CJ Vance took the mound for the Vikings.
After both Alec Philpott and TJ Fincher walked to put runners at first and second, Andre Overholt laced a sharp ground ball that took a quirky hop over the shortstop and into left field, scoring Philpott. Following a Rooster Ross sacrifice fly that scored Fincher from third, Joel Booker stepped to the plate and teed off on a Vance fastball that cleared the right field fence by a good 30 feet for a two-run home run blast.
“I thought that was pretty impressive, the fact that he hit it to the opposite field,” Polk head coach Ty Stott said, referring to Booker’s tape measure shot. “He just crushed it – that was a long way to hit a ball.”
The fourth inning rally continued as Taft hammered an RBI triple through the gap in right center field and Dakota Turner singled to center to score Taft, capping a six-run inning and giving the Wolverines their final margin of victory.
As coach of the two-time defending Western Highlands conference champions, Stott has set the bar high for his talented squad this season, and the Wolverines have not disappointed. In their first seven games, a powder keg Polk offense has scored a total of 76 runs, while a tightfisted pitching staff, backed by an excellent defense, has held opponents to a total of just eight runs.
With the victory, Polk improves to 6-1 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in conference play.
Following games against Thomas Jefferson and East Rutherford, the Wolverines face a crucial conference showdown on Friday, April 1 as the team travels to Black Mountain to take on the Warhorses of Owen High School.