Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville lead off batter Michael Mauney connects against Cherokee.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
The cream of the Smoky Mountain Conference moved another step closer to securing its second consecutive SMC title by creaming another over matched opponent Monday.
Hayesville, 9-6 overall, 8-0 SMC, whacked Cherokee, 12-0, at Scott D. Penland Baseball Field in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
The Yellow Jackets’ eight hits produced a .414 batting average and Cherokee pitchers fed the Black-and-Gold beast by issuing 10 walks and hitting four batters. Fielding and throwing errors by the visitors ensured an easy victory.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was a good start to a busy week.
“We did well for being off for 11 days. So it wasn’t bad,” Hayesville Coach Joe Jack Sellers said. “Bats were a little sluggish to start off with but we did OK. They did good. They competed.”
Starting pitcher Cade Caruso, working with more than enough support, allowed just one hit and struck out eight. Tate Roberts recorded two punch outs without being touched for a hit in an inning of relief.
Kyle Shaheen swung the hottest bat, leading Hayesville with two hits, four runs batted in and two stolen bases. Dawson Devane added two RBI’s, Jackson Sellers scored twice and Tate Roberts drew three walks. Ben Bethel led Hayesville 11-of-11 base running brigade with three thefts. Blaine Stillwell, Michael Mauney, Roberts, Shaheen and Sellers had two steals each.
The engine of Cherokee’s motor coach was still hot when Hayesville decided this one. The Jackets plated four runs in the first inning as Cherokee’s pitcher struggled to find the plate.
The second inning was even more productive thanks to four bases on balls and four infield errors that helped Hayesville tally seven more runs to go up 11-0. The Jackets didn’t have a hit in the messy inning, but Michael Mauney brought in Chance Hughes with a sacrifice fly and Bethel drove in Devane with a grounder to first.
Hayesville hosts Franklin on Thursday and Robbinsville on Friday after traveling to Robbinsville on Tuesday.
Hayesville 12, Cherokee 0
Hits: Shaheen 2, Cheeks, Cody, Devane, Hughes, Mauney
RBI: Shaheen 4, Devane 2, Fuentes, Hughes, Mauney, Roberts, Sellers
Runs: Sellers 2, Boyer, Devane, Fuentes, Mauney, Roberts
Stolen Bases: Bethel 3, Roberts 2, Shaheen 2, Stillwell 2, Sellers 2, Mauney
Sacrifices: Boyer, Mauney, Sellers
Bases on Balls: Roberts 3, Bethel, Hughes, Mauney, Shaheen
Hit by Pitch: Bethel 2, Sellers