Gary Corsair • Progress Hayesville senior outfielder Shaun Plummer spears a fly ball.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Another title has been clinched, now Hayesville is focusing on making noise in the post season.
The Yellow Jackets will prepare for the playoffs after they finish the regular season Friday with a doubleheader at Brevard.
Last Friday, Hayesville’s hit-men clinched the Smoky Mountain Conference baseball championship for the second year in a row.
Chance Hughes drove in 3 runs, Michael Mauney swiped four bases and Peyton McGaha powered an over-the-fence home run as Hayesville bettered Robbinsville, 7-2.
The Hayesville offense, 15-2 overall, 12-0 SMC, provided more than enough firepower Friday in support of starting pitcher Cade Caruso and Hughes, who pitched two innings of relief. Caruso and Hughes combined to 3-hit Robbinsville, 10-5.
The Yellow Jackets outhit the hosts 7-3, but didn’t break the game open until late. Hayesville led 2-1 lead after four innings before pulling away with 3 runs in the fifth and 3 more in the sixth with timely hits, walks and Robbinsville errors.
Mauney led the charge with two hits, to raise his batting average to .588, two runs and four stolen bases, which gave him 29 swipes in 30 attempts for the season.
Hughes had three RBIs and Tate Roberts scored twice.
Caruso struck out eight and allowed just two hits and one unearned run. Hughes whiffed two and allowed one hit and zero runs in two innings on the mound.
Hayesville 12, Andrews 2
Hayesville had 15 steals in as many attempts and four Yellow Jackets had two or more hits in an 11-hit attack that produced a 12-2 Senior Night victory over Andrews on Thursday.
Two of those hits came from hurler Kyle Shaheen, who struck out nine and only walked two in pitching a complete game.
Mauney again sparked the offense. Mighty Mike scored 3 runs, stole three bases, had two hits and drove in a run.
Roberts also had a big night with two hits, two stolen bases, a double and four assists in the field. Roberts participated in a pair of double plays with Mauney and first baseman Jackson Sellers.
Sellers, who is batting .556. Roberts also scored 2 runs.
McGaha led all bandits with four steals. Hughes and Mauney had three each.
Andrews stayed close until Hayesville erupted for 7 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. In fact, the Wildcats led 1-0 in the first inning and 2-1 in the third, but Hayesville tied the score in the bottom of both innings. The Yellow Jackets went up for good in the bottom of the fourth.