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An eight-run fifth-inning outburst broke open a close game Tuesday and carried R-S Central to a 13-3 victory over Polk County in a Mountain Foothills 7 Conference meeting in Rutherfordton.

 

The Hilltoppers are now 16-2 overall, 7-2 in conference play. The Wolverines fell to 7-9, 1-6.

 

How it happened: Polk County grabbed an early lead in the first inning as Gunnar Alm doubled, took third on an error and scored on Lawson Carter’s infield grounder.

 

The Hilltoppers answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, and the game remained at 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth. That’s when R-S Central put together its eight-run rally, combining six hits with five Polk errors to build a 10-1 advantage.

 

The Wolverines responded with two runs in the sixth. Cohen Edwards singled and Alex Tipton was hit by a pitch with one out before Alm hammered a drive deep to right field, his second double of the game driving in both runners.

 

R-S Central scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game by run rule.

 

At the plate: Alm finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, with Edwards and Noah Harden adding Polk’s other hits.

 

Next up: The two teams are set to meet again Friday at The Bottoms That game is expected to start around 6:45 p.m.