Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville third baseman Chance Hughes, No. 10, squeezes a pop-up as pitcher Jackson Sellers, No. 21, comes off the mound.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Jackson Sellers showed why he’s one of the best pitchers in western North Carolina Tuesday in the first round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 1-A playoffs.
Hayesville’s mound ace pitched five masterful innings after the Yellow Jackets fell behind 4-0 before gradually closing the gap and then deciding the game with a 6-spot to bounce visiting Bethany Community, 11-5.
The victory by Hayesville — 16-3, seeded No. 7 in the West — over No. 26 seed Bethany Christian, 7-11, propelled the Yellow Jackets into the second round of the post-season playoffs.
The Yellow Jackets will host Mountain Heritage — 10-10 after upsetting Piedmont Community Charter, 7-0, Tuesday —at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 10.
“I’m pleased with how the kids responded after the first innings,” Coach Joe Jack Sellers said. “We chipped away and took over late.”
Sellers dominated after being touched for four singles and four runs in the opening inning. Sellers handcuffed the Wolves from then on, repeatedly getting ahead of batters, striking out four, allowed just three hits and one unearned run, and setting Bethany Community down one, two three in the second and sixth innings.
“Jackson settled down after the first,” Coach Sellers said.
While Sellers threw darts, Bethany Community’s four pitchers came apart. Hayesville took advantage of 9 walks and a hit batsman to close the gap to 4-2 in the second inning, tie the score at 4-4 in the fourth and 5-all in the fifth.
Walks also factored into a big sixth inning in which Hayesville nailed, stapled and welded the coffin shut with 6 runs off two relief pitchers.
Here’s how the Yellow Jackets broke the Wolves: with one out, Peyton McGaha walked; Tate Roberts took first when he was plunked by a pitch; Kyle Shaheen singled to load the sacks; McGaha scored when Sellers walked, Hayesville 6, BC 5; Roberts came home when Chance Hughes legged out a grounder the third baseman stopped at the bag, 7-5; Shaheen scored on a passed ball, 8-5; Caruso drilled a single to bring in Sellers, 9-5; Dawson Devane slammed a single to plate Hughes, 10-5; Caruso pushed the lead to 11-5 by scoring when the catcher threw away the ball attempting to throw out Cooper Matheson on a steal.
The Yellow Jackets outhit the Wolves, 9-8. Hayesville made the most of its safeties. Capitalizing on walks was only part of the equation. Devane, McGaha and Caurso brought in runs with sacrifices and took extra bases on a pair of Bethany Community throwing errors.
Defense was also a factor. The greatest defensive gem came on the final play of the game when Shaheen ran down a fly ball in right field and fired a rope to Devane, who doubled up a runner attempting to score from third.
That wasn’t the only jewel. In the third inning, Shaheen, who started the game at first base, made a sweet scoop on a throw in the dirt for the second out. In the fifth, Roberts fielded a hot smash at shortstop, stared a base-runner back to third base and then gunned down the batter at first. McGaha made two superb running catches in center field. Hughes made a nice grab on a pop-up near the mound. In the seventh, Caruso, pitching in relief, hustled over to first base to take a throw from Sellers on what should have a bang, bang play, but the umpire ruled the runner safe.
Hughes led the offense with three hits and 2 runs. Sellers scored 3 runs. Caruso and McGaha scored 2 runs apiece.