Just a shade over three weeks ago, Coach Jeff Wilson’s Lady Wolverines traveled to Yancey County and took a very talented Mountain Heritage softball team out to the woodshed for a 5-0 whipping. Since that game, the Lady Cougars have lost just twice, but on Tuesday, April 12, the ladies from Burnsville rolled into Polk County with revenge clearly on their minds.
For most of Tuesday’s game, it appeared Mountain Heritage was in for a repeat of the March 18 beating, as Polk’s Jamie Hrobak mowed down one batter after another. Hrobak allowed just one hit in the first five frames, and the lone Lady Cougar that did reach base was quickly doubled off as the junior hurler faced just 15 batters, the minimum, through five innings.
While Hrobak worked her magic in the circle for Polk, the Lady Wolverines offense managed to touch up Heritage pitcher Samm Chandler for two runs. In the first, Alyssa Montgomery, aboard on a walk, advanced on a Hrobak single to right and then scored on an infield hit by Cassie Couch. In the fourth inning, Polk posted its second run, as Kara Garvin worked Chandler for a walk and then scored on a blistering Shea Wheeler double.
As the Lady Wolverines entered the top of the sixth with a 2-0 lead, just six outs away from another shutout, the Heritage bats suddenly caught fire. Following a leadoff single and two successful bunts, the Lady Cougars had loaded the bases, and with two outs, Heritage’s Haley Johnson stepped to the plate and crushed a Hrobak offering down the right field line for a bases clearing triple, putting the Lady Cougars ahead by a score of 3-2.
Although the Lady Wolverines were unable to score in their half of the sixth, the seventh inning was yet to be played, and the game plan for Polk was simple – hold Heritage scoreless in the top of the inning and score a couple in the bottom half. The Lady Cougars, however, had other plans, as junior Summer Ray led off the seventh with a solo home run that ignited a six hit, eight run barrage and gave Heritage a nine-run lead going into the bottom of the seventh. A shell-shocked Polk squad was unable to respond in their half of the inning as the game ended with the Lady Cougars on top 11-2.
“They came out and really took it to us at the end,” said Wilson. “It’s a weird thing to be in control for most of the game and not win.”
Asked what he said to the team post-game, Wilson replied, “I told my girls that Heritage won the game, that we didn’t lose it. I told them not to hang their heads, and that we’ll come back out next game and battle again.”
With the loss, Polk falls to 12-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference, while the Lady Cougars improve to 13-3 overall, also with three conference losses.