Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville shortstop Cooper Matheson fires to first during a recent game. Matheson leads the team in runs scored.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Hayesville avenged an early season loss to Union County in dramatic fashion last Wednesday with a 9-8 victory on the Yellow Jackets diamond.
Clean-up slugger Kyle Shaheen provided first-inning excitement by rocketing a three-run home run over the fence to chase home homies Peyton McGaha and Tate Roberts, smacked back-to-back singles.
Shaheen’s blast gave Hayesville a 3-0 lead that lasted into the third inning when Union County plated 4 runs to tie. The Yellow Jackets answered with 4 in the bottom to take a commanding 7-4 lead.
The Black-and-Gold increased their advantage to 9-4 entering the seventh and final inning.
That’s when the drama reached a peak.
“We had two outs in the top of the seventh. They had tying run on first,” recalled Hayesville Coach Joe Jack Sellers.
That’s when the Panthers brought the final curtain down on themselves with an illegal substitution in the form of a Panther re-entering the game as a pinch runner.
“He didn’t re-enter back in the same spot in the batting order I believe was the call,” Sellers stated.
The mistake resulted in Hayesville’s fourth consecutive victory.
“We finally got some production up and down the line-up and the defense was great,” Sellers said.
The Yellow Jackets, 4-2 overall, 2-0 Smoky Mountain Conference, will try to keep the streak alive in back-to-back games against Hiwassee-Dam on Wednesday, away, and Thursday at home and a road trip to Cherokee next Tuesday.
Hayesville is a cinch to be 7-2 if the bats and gloves remain hot. The Yellow Jackets are averaging one error per game over during their win streak.
McGaha raised his batting average to .381 with two base knocks. He also had an RBI, two runs, four putouts and an assist and seven teammates cracked hits. Six Yellow Jackets crossed the plate.
Extra base raps came from Shaheen, he also scored twice, and Cade Caruso, who doubled and drove in a run.
Jackson Sellers, .529, continues to wield a mighty bat. Hayesville’s leading run producer knocked in two runs with a big third-inning single, giving him a team-high eight RBI on the year.
Tate Roberts, who leads the team in runs, 7, singled, scored twice, stole a base and threw just 17 pitches during an inning of relief of starter Chance Hughes, who helped himself with an RBI-single.
Michael Mauney, owner of a team-high .562 average, had a hit and a steal. On defense, had two putouts and three assists.
Dawson Devane added a single, run and steal, while Cooper Matheson had a hit and a run.