BENTON, Tenn. – For the first time in 25 years, Polk County is returning to the state baseball tournament.
The Wildcats’ mindset was simple Friday for their make-or-break game with Livingston Academy, coach Bill Triplett telling his team, “If they’re good, we’ll try and beat them by one. If they’re not, let’s try to run-rule them.”
Polk got the five-inning game, beating the other Wildcats 15-2.
And while they may not yet have met expectations, Polk’s Wildcats at least have answered some questions they have lived with since losing a sectional at home a year ago.
“I’m so proud of these guys. They have lived with expectations for 12 months, and it isn’t that we’re better than everybody but rather we played well when we needed to,” said Triplett, who was so overcome with emotions that he could barely speak in the team’s postgame meeting.