BENTON, Tenn. — Jared Allen pitched a one-hitter and slugger Michael Hargrove provided a key bunt single as Polk County posted a 13-1 victory over Meigs County.
The win pushed the Wildcats into the District 5-AA baseball winners-bracket final and provided them with another unexpected home game. While Polk was winning at home Saturday, regular-season champion McMinn Central was getting upset 3-2 a short distance up Highway 411.
Polk will host Sweetwater, which beat the Chargers, at 5 p.m. Monday. Meigs will play McMinn Central at 6.
“I really thought we would be playing Monday at McMinn Central,” said Allen, who struggled with his control as he and Meigs pitcher Spencer Crabtree threw into the teeth of a stiff breeze all afternoon.
The one hit Allen surrendered was a two-out triple by Crabtree in the top of the fifth that scored the Tigers’ only run.
“I didn’t realize I had a no-hitter, I guess because of all the walks. I didn’t have my best stuff,” he said.
The junior, who stands to receive scholarship offers in both football and baseball, issued six free passes and hit a batter, but the run was unearned. He improved to 6-1.
Hargrove entered the game with a .529 batting average and had two hits in two official at-bats. His first hit plated a run in the Wildcats’ four-run third, and he provided the spark to their seven-run fourth. With runners on first and second, Hargrove — the cleanup batter — pushed a bunt up the third-base line, catching the Meigs defenders flat-footed to load the bases. Alex Akins followed with a walk, Jim Bob Maples and Brock Raper added run-scoring singles and Justin Webb followed with a two-run single.
“We didn’t try to hit the ball out,” Polk coach Bill Triplett said in reference to the outward-blowing wind. “The bunt by our No. 4 hitter was a big key. We squared up on some balls and hit them pretty well, but we were mostly concerned with base hits rather than the long ball.”
Allen finished with five strikeouts and kept the ball down. The only pitch he made that left the infield was Crabtree’s triple. He loaded the bases in the first, walking four, but catcher Collin Wimberley picked off a Tiger at first, Allen got a strikeout and first baseman Jim Bob Maples turned in an unassisted play for the final out of the inning.
Hargrove went 2-for-2 and Wimberley was 2-for-4.