Barter batters, Sellers smokes Swain

By Gary Corsair Sports Editor Rob Barter celebrated being moved to leadoff batter by going four-for-four, scoring three runs, stealing two bases and knocking in a pair of runs as Hayesville clobbered Swain County, 16-1, in Smoky Mountain Conference baseball action last Tuesday. Barter hit like an ideal table-setter as he raised his batting average to .379 and gobbled up 14 total bases. Hayesville’s regular catcher also played a superb second base. “We tried to mix up the lineup,” Hayesville Coach Joe Jack Sellers said. “The bottom third of the lineup only got one hit, but they did produce some base on balls and sacrifices that kept the train rolling.” The Black-and-Gold choo-choo did more than roll, it roared like a bullet train in the five-inning mercy rule rout. Eight Yellow Jackets had RBIs as Sellers’ squad cracked 13 hits and took advantage of 11 free passes via walks and hit batters, and six errors by the Maroon Devils. On the mound, Jackson Sellers smoked and choked the hosts, allowing just two hits while striking out eight. One of those hits cleared the left field fence to move Sellers’ earned run average from an unbelievable 0.00 to a merely astounding 0.38. At bat, Sellers crushed an RBI-double in the first inning and singled in a run in the fourth inning to inflate his team-leading statistics in batting average of .520, on base percentage .613 and slugging percentage, an astronomical .800. Barter started the game with a single, swiped second base and advanced to third on Ben Bethel’s sacrifice fly to left but was declared out on what looked like a successful base advance. Swain’s jubilation at getting two outs on one play and emptying the sacks in the process was short-lived because Peyton McGaha legged out an infield grounder, stole second, scampered to third on a wild pitch and scored on Sellers’ booming double that gave Hayesville a 1-0 lead. The roof caved in on Swain in the second inning when Brady Reynolds, Landon Cheeks and Micah Moss earned back-to-back-to-back walks. All three crossed the dish on Barter’s two-RBI single followed by Bethel’s safety. Two more walks and hits by RBI singles by Reynolds and Cheeks resulted in a seven-run inning and the end of Swain’s hopes. Hayesville added four runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth. Bethel, who is hitting .500, Jackson Sellers and Reynolds who is hitting .375 had two each. Speaking of plurals, Sellers and Reynolds knocked in three runs each, Bethel scored three runs, team steals leader McGaha swiped three bases, Rhett Sellers scored twice, and Cheeks came through with two RBI. The one-sided victory was the fifth consecutive win for Hayesville 5-0 in the SMC and 5-4 overall. Next up: Murphy 4-2 SMC and 5-5 overall Friday at Konehete Park in Murphy.