Warming up prior to the final conference game of the regular season on Monday, May 9, Coach Jeff Wilson’s Lady Wolverines knew they were in for a dogfight. The visiting Owen Warlassies, led by Gardner-Webb bound pitcher Taylor Fisher, pulled into town as the clear favorite, undefeated in the Western Highlands conference and sporting an overall record of 19-2.
Then again, all things seemed possible as the ladies of Polk took the field. Junior ace Jamie Hrobak was coming off back-to-back no-hit performances against Mitchell and Hendersonville and pitching at the top of her game, and the team was playing in front of the largest crowd of the year.
It was also senior night, and the team honored Kara Garvin, Erica Painter, Haley Champion, Cavin Richards and Alicia Lockhart.
The game started out as a classic pitcher’s duel. Hrobak struck out four of the first eight Owen batters she faced, scattering two hits, while Fisher countered by striking out three of the first eight Polk batters, allowing just two hits as well, as the first two frames were completed with the game in a scoreless tie.
The Warlassies’ bats caught fire in the third, as catcher Tia Vasko led off with a sharp single to right center. After Sarah Wells reached on an error, three consecutive hits by the heart of the Owen batting order gave the visitors a four run lead with no outs. Though Hrobak managed to retire the next three batters in order, the damage had been done. Owen added one more in the fifth and four in the seventh en route to the 9-0 win.
Fisher went on to pitch a complete game shutout, striking out three and walking none while holding Polk to just four hits on the afternoon, including a single and a double by Alyssa Montgomery and base hits by Hrobak and Painter.
The Warlassies improved to 20-2 overall and finished the regular season unbeaten in the conference.
With the loss, the Lady Wolverines fall to 17-5 overall and 10-4 in the conference. They will be the third seed from the WHC as the 2-A state playoffs begin Tuesday, May 17.