“It came down to a play or two, (that could have gone) either way,” was Polk County High School varsity coach Jeff Wilson’s assessment after the Wolverines dropped a 6-5 nail-biter to visiting Owen yesterday.

Polk is 16-5 overall, and 9-5 in conference play.

Katie Ruff pitched her usual focused game, with most Owen batters swinging a bit late on her fastball. Ruff got some fine defensive support and some good hitting, but as Wilson mentioned, a couple of plays, and a questionable ball/strike call, shifted the results just enough for a scrappy Owen team to take advantage.

The Wolverines came to bat in the home first with no score, but wasted little time jumping ahead. Leadoff batter Brittany Jones was hit by a pitch. She was erased at second on a fielder’s choice grounder by Hayley Kropp, but Shalyn Brown belted a double to left center, scoring Kropp. Cassie Couch struck out swinging, but Maddy Foy blooped a single behind third, to score Brown.

Owen fought back in the top of the second. The first batter drew a walk. A hard single just inside the third base bag made it first and second, but the next batter grounded into a force at third for the first out. Owen’s next batter drove a single to right center, scoring a run, but Polk’s alert defense wiped out the previous runner, who rounded second too far. A grounder and force at second kept the Wolverines ahead, 2-1, going into the home second.

Polk went down quickly in their half of the second, but Owen tied the game in the top of the third, on a sacrifice fly.

Owen took a 3-2 lead in the visitors’ fourth, when the leadoff batter timed one of Ruff’s fastballs, and dropped it just over the fence in left for a solo homer. Ruff bore down, retiring the next three batters.