A good week for Polk County baseball couldn’t have ended Friday on a better note.

The Wolverines defeated rival Hendersonville for the first time since 2012, riding the pitching of Avery Edwards to a 5-1 victory over the Bearcats in a Western Highlands Conference battle at Polk.

Polk County (5-6, 4-2) won for the third time this week and the fourth time in its last five games, none any sweeter than ending an eight-game losing streak against Hendersonville (3-9, 2-4). Edwards had much to do with that.

The sophomore right-hander held Hendersonville scoreless for six innings before tiring in the seventh and allowing a Bearcat run. Zach Foy entered and got the final two outs to close out the win.

Edwards allowed six hits and struck out five, walking just one, in six 1/3 innings. Including his two-inning relief stint on Wednesday at Mitchell – he threw just 34 pitches, so could pitch again Friday under new state pitch count rules – Edwards finished the week with eight 1/3 innings, six hits, 10 strikeouts and two wins.

Not a bad week, either.

The Wolverines grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Evan Rimer singled to right, Holden Owens singled to center and, one out later, a Hendersonville error allowed Rimer to score.

The lead remained at one until the bottom of the fourth. Tyler Harris and Sedric Pickett reached on infield errors to open the inning. Harris moved to third with one out, then scored on another Hendersonville miscue as pinch runner Zach Johnson stole second. That error allowed Johnson to move to third, and he scored from there on Nick Capozzi’s bunt single.

Polk County added its final two runs in the fifth with a two-out rally, loading the bases on an error, Harris single and Pickett walk. Foy then drilled a double to left to drive in Owens and Harris for the 5-0 lead.

Bailey Livesay, Rimer, Owens, Harris, Foy and Capozzi all had hits for the Wolverines.

Polk County will put its winning streak to the test on Tuesday, traveling to Marshall to face conference co-leader Madison.

 

Submitted by PolkSports.com