Polk County and Hendersonville are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2017, but likely not for long. Polk County will challenge Hendersonville at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Hendersonville took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Polk County, who comes in off a win.
Polk County not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 1st. They were the clear victors by a 10-4 margin over Mountain Heritage.
Nate Fagan
| 03/25/25 vs Hendersonville | 4 |
| 03/01/25 vs Rosman | 1 |
Nate Fagan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned runs on eight hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Polk County is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 4-5 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Avrey Hensley was excellent, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Noah Harden was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Polk County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. They are 3-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Hendersonville had taken Smoky Mountain down for four straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Wednesday. Hendersonville lost 23-12 to Smoky Mountain. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Bearcats have suffered against the Mustangs since March 29, 2019.
Hendersonville also got a good showing from Zach Elkins, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Aidan Burlett made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and one double. That home run marked the first that he launched this season. Another player making a difference was Martiste Mills, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Hendersonville has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. The victory got Polk County back to even at 6-6.
Polk County might still be hurting after the 14-6 defeat they got from Hendersonville in their previous matchup on Tuesday. Can Polk County avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
