Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Yellow Jacket first baseman Jackson Sellers is a split second too late as tries to apply the tag on an infield dribbler.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Jackson Sellers drove in six runs with five hits in five at bats as Hayesville drubbed Robbinsville 11-0 and 12-0, in a doubleheader Friday at Scott D. Penland Field.
The convincing sweep came on the heels of Hayesville’s most impressive comeback of the year, a thrilling one-run loss to visiting Franklin on Thursday.
The twin killing of Robbinsville moved Hayesville (11-7 overall, 10-0 conference) within a single win of clinching the Smoky Mountain Conference baseball title outright. Hayesville (10-0 SMC) needs just one win in its final two regular-season games against Murphy (6-3 SMC) this week – Tuesday at home and Thursday on the Bulldogs diamond.
Second-place Swain (10-2 SMC) needs Murphy to play spoiler, not once, but twice. The Maroon Devils concluded conference play last week.
Robbinsville certainly wasn’t a threat. Seller mowed the visitors down with a one-hitter and eight strikeouts in the first game and Kendall Boyer sawed off their bats with a two-hitter and 10 Ks in game two.
Game one
Hayesville 11,
Robbinsville 0
The Yellow Jackets scored early and often in backing Sellers, who totally dominated the Black Knights.
Ben Bethel was the top hit man, pushing his batting average to an incredible .612 with a double and two singles that drove in three runs. He also scored three times.
Sellers, Boyer and Chance Hughes cracked two hits each. Sellers’ knocks were both doubles. Boyer also had two RBI’s.
Sellers and Dawson Devane drove in two runs apiece.
Sellers, Matheson (who stole two bases) and Kyle Shaheen plated twice.
Robbinsville 000 0 = 0
Hayesville 335 x = 11
Hits: Bethel 3, Boyer 2, Hughes 2, Sellers 2, Matheson and Shaheen.
Doubles: Sellers 2, Bethel and Matheson.
RBI: Bethel 3, Boyer 2, Devane 2, Sellers 2 and Shaheen.
Runs: Bethel 3, Matheson 2, Sellers 2, Shaheen 2, Caruso and Mauney.
Stolen bases: Matheson 2, Bethel, Devane, Mauney and Sellers.
Sac: Devane, Mauney and Sellers.
Bases on balls: Caruso, Devane, Mauney and Shaheen.
Game two
Hayesville 12,
Robbinsville 0
Sellers had three hits, three steals, and four RBI’s as the Yellow Jackets waxed the Black Knights, 12-0, in the four-inning second game. Hayesville outhit Robbinsville, 7-2, in support of Kendall Boyer, who struck out 10.
The Jackets put the game away with an exclamation point by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Robbinsville 000 0 = 0
Hayesville 140 7 = 12
Hits: Sellers 3, Boyer, Hughes, Mauney and Moss.
RBI’s: Sellers 4, Mauney 2 and Moss.
Runs: Bethel 2, Mauney 2, Barter, Boyer, Caruso, Cheeks, Dawson, Hughes, Matheson and Sellers.
Stolen bases: Sellers 3, Bethel 2, Cody, Devane and Mauney.
Bases on balls: Mauney 2, Barter, Bethel, Caruso, Cheeks, Devane and Fuentes.
Hit by pitch: Cody, Fuentes.
Franklin 10,
Hayesville 9
The 3A bad guys from Franklin hightailed it out of Hayesville with a 10-9 victory Thursday, but the Yellow Jackets’ inspired comeback sure felt like a victory.
Hayesville trailed 7-0 in the second inning but battled back to tie the score 9-9 in a do-or-die bottom of the seventh which featured more drama than a Peacock Performing Arts Center play.
Centerstage was shared by four feisty Hayesville firebrands who refused to accept a 9-8 defeat.
With one out, bases empty and two strikes against him, Tate Roberts courageously insisted on staying in the game after re-injuring his shoulder while fouling off a pitch. Obviously in discomfort, Roberts valiantly fouled off a second fastball with a vicious swing that separated the shoulder he damaged during football season. Unable to lift his arm above his chest, Roberts was forced to leave the game.
Enter understudy Cooper Matheson, who had the misfortune of inheriting Roberts’ one ball, two strike count. Cool as a polar bear on an ice flue, Matheson bravely fouled off two heaters from William Rauers – possessor of a 1.05 earned run average and a chip on his wide shoulders – and eventually milked a free pass.
Matheson scooted to second on a wild pitcher as Kendall Boyer dug in at the plate. Boyer then gave the ball a ride into right field, but a fine defensive play turned his clout into an out.
That left Chance Hughes as the final hope and he looked like he’d be a nope as Rauers smoked two strikes past him. So much for appearances. Hughes turned on Rauers’ third heater and deposited it into right center to chase Matheson home with the tying run.
Rauers bounced back to get the third out.
The bottom of the eighth saw more drama.
Franklin’s first batter worked the count to 3-2 against relief pitcher Michael Mauney, who bounded off the mound, speared a bouncer and made a big league throw to first for the out.
On the next at bat, Boyer made an even greater effort in center field, sprinting 30 feet to his left in pursuit of a sinking liner. He dove and nearly gloved the ball but Anderson Terrell was safe with a double.
With the go-ahead run on second, Rauer lofted a high pop foul in front of the visitors’ dugout that Hughes chased down and came within a whisker of catching.
Rauer then crushed a pitch 350 feet to center to Franklin on top, 10-9.
The rally fizzled when Rauer tried to steal home. He became out No. 3 when Hughes smoked a throw to third and Kyle Shaheen applied the tag. A Mauney strikeout limited the damage to that single run.
Hayesville was unable to finish the job in the bottom of the eighth, but they didn’t go quietly. Mauney nearly beat out a hot grounder down the left field line and Ben Bethel drilled a line drive, but it was caught by the third baseman.
Boyer had a mighty big day, belting two doubles, driving in two runs and scoring once. His second two-bagger, with two outs in the sixth inning, scored Cade Caruso, who doubled and trimmed Franklin’s once safe lead to 9-8.
That was the highlight of a three-run inning that included tallies by pinch runner Cody Jacobs – inserted after Hughes walked – and Dawson Devane, who legged out an infield hit.
The inning was nearly bigger. With Bethel on second and two down, Jackson Sellers smashed a deep drive, but the center field was playing extra deep and made the catch.
Franklin 070 101 01 = 10
Hayesville 014 003 10 = 9
Hits: Boyer 2, Caruso 2, Hughes 2 and Devane.
Doubles: Boyer 2 and Caruso.
RBI’s: Boyer 2, Hughes 2, Caruso and Sellers.
Runs: Boyer, Caruso, Cody, Devane, Matheson, Mauney, Reynolds and Roberts.
Stolen bases: Devane and Reynolds
Sac: Sellers.
Bases on balls: Caruso, Devane, Hughes, Matheson and Roberts.
Hit by pitch: Sellers.