Finishing the regular season with a 19-4 mark, and second place in the Western Highlands Conference, earned Polk County High School’s softball team a berth in the state playoffs. Winning a coin toss, gives the Wolverines a home field start tomorrow (Wednesday) at 5:00 p.m Passes will not be accepted.

Polk swept a twin bill (11-1 and 6-4) against the Asheville Trailblazers on Thursday, ending the regular season with a nine-game win streak. “I’m really proud of how the season turned out,” said Polk Coach Jeff Wilson.“We’re playing our best ball,” Wilson continued. “Our nine-game win streak is a good peak to be building on.”

Ashley Scruggs posted her 18th and 19th wins of the season, far eclipsing the Wolverines’ former freshman record win total of 13. Only former Polk hurlers Jamie Hrobak and Tiffany McCord, recorded high season win totals, each with 21, but not as freshmen. In the opener, Polk played its typical game combining fine fielding, superb pitching by Scruggs, clutch hitting and teamwork, as the Wolverines bested the Trailblazers 11-1 in the sixth inning (Ten-run rule, as Polk scored its 11th run in that frame).

Polk extended its lead to 4-1 in the home third. Hayley Kropp reached first on a dropped pop to the infield. After a bounce out, Ashley Scruggs lofted a fly to left, which which was misplayed, putting runners at the corners. Katlyn Allison pinch ran for Scruggs, and immediately stole second. Ashley Kropp grounded out to first, but sister Hayley crossed the plate, making it 3-1, Wolverines. Alexis McCraw ripped a hard single, scoring Allison.

In the home fourth, Hayley Kropp lined a single to left. Brittany Jones walked. A pinch runner for Kropp scored on a single. Jones stole second, putting runners on second and third, with the Wolverines leading, 5-1. Scruggs once again showed she can do more than pitch, as she blooped a two-run single to right, upping Polk’s lead to 7-1. Maddy Foy walked to fill the bases, before Kassidy Reynolds singled home two more runs. After four, the Wolverines enjoyed a 9-1 lead.

In the visitors’ fifth the Trailblazers put two runners on base, via two bloopers, one of which fell in the infield. Their best hit ball of the game was a liner to the gap in left center, but Polk center fielder McCraw sprinted hard to her right, and made an outstanding catch, as the wind was taking the ball toward left. Ashley Scruggs put away a pop foul to end the threat.

Polk was unable to score in the home fifth, but likewise, Asheville could do no damage in its half of the sixth. Scruggs led off the home sixth by lining a single to right center. Allison was sent in to pinch run, just before Ashley Kropp singled up the middle, to put runners on first and second. A new Trailblazers’ pitcher opened by walking McCraw to load the bases. Maddy Foy’s sacrifice fly easily scored Allison for Polk’s tenth run. Pinch-hitter Ashley Ponder walked to re-load the bases for Brandi Cordell. Cordell sent a soft line single to center to give the Wolverines an 11-1 lead and the victory, via the ten-run rule.

In the nightcap, Polk tripped the Trailblazers, 6-4, as Hayley Kropp, who was three-for-four in the opener, went two-for-three. Foy, whom Wilson said has shown “good plate discipline” all season, was 1-2 with her 17th walk of the campaign. Ashley Kropp was 2-3. Jones added a key hit and two RBI in the second to give Polk a 4-1 lead. Each team scored a single run in the first; Jones’s hit gave the Wolverines some breathing room.

The Trailblazers added two runs in the fifth, to make it 5-3, but in the home sixth, Hayley Kropp singled, went to second on a throwing error, and came around to score.