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By Jed Blackwell

 

Polk County got off to a hot start on the diamond on Tuesday but couldn’t maintain the momentum, falling 14-6 to Hendersonville.

“Our strength has been pitching, and it wasn’t tonight,” Polk County coach Billy Alm said. “Karson Scruggs was the anchor of our defense, and not having him (in the field) is killing us right now.”

Polk County got all six runs in the first two innings. The first one didn’t take long, as Wolverines’ leadoff hitter Gunnar Alm blasted the first pitch he saw over the right field fence (and the batting cages behind it) for a 1-0 lead.

Alm’s blast was part of a three-run first inning for the Wolverines. Polk County loaded the bases on walks to Scruggs (at DH) and Mason Beiler around a single from Alex Perry. Noah Harden was hit by a pitch to plate one run and Mark Jarrett walked to bring home another before a double play ended the threat.

The Wolverines got three more in the second. Perry drove in a run, and Avery Hensley hit a two-run double for a 6-2 lead through two. 

The Wolverines wouldn’t score again, despite a number of solid chances. Hendersonville third baseman River Faulkner made a couple of good plays to erase a threat in the third, the Bearcats turned another double play to help their cause in the fourth and miscues on the bases ended a bases-loaded, no-out situation for Polk in the sixth.

Meanwhile, the Bearcats scored four in the third to tie the game and pulled away with two in the fifth and three runs each in the sixth and seventh innings. The middle of the Hendersonville lineup was outstanding – the Bearcats’ 3-6 hitters scored 10 runs and drove in three more. That set the table for Colton Ballard, who finished 2-for-3 with a walk and five RBI on the night.

Alm was 3-for-3 with a home run, two singles, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI for Polk County. Scruggs reached twice and scored twice, Perry had two singles, a walk, and reached on an error, scoring twice and driving in one. Hensley finished 2-for-4 with a double, a single and two RBI.

“G’s been hitting it all year, leads off the game with a home run, and the energy’s up,” Alm said. “Avery’s coming along, Alex Perry’s coming along, we’ve just got to get everybody else to buy in.”