Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville's Kyle Shaheen helps the umpire make the call, signaling safe after beating out an infield grounder with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning against Hiwassee Dam.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Both of Hayesville’s back-to-back baseball games against Hiwassee Dam were played before the sun set, but the outcomes were like night and day.
The Yellow Jackets cracked 17 hits, batted .586, swiped 11 bases in as many attempts and played errorless defense in shellacking the Eagles 22-0 on Wednesday, March 27 but barely escaped with a 5-4 decision on Thursday, March 28.
Feast or famine, Hayesville ended the week with a 6-2 record and remained perfect, 4-0, in the Smoky Mountain Conference.
“Pitching was spot on both games,” Hayesville Coach Joe Jack Sellers said. “Defense cost us several runs in the second game. Hitting was also down in the second game.”
Kyle Shaheen provided the mound mastery in the blowout, tossing a three-hitter, fanning four and walking just one.
Jackson Sellers was the Hurculean hurler in the 5-4 victory, striking out a dozen, walking only two and allowing just one earned run in six innings to earn the win. Chance Hughes collected the save by getting the final three outs and stranding the tying and winning runs.
The final inning of the close game was filled with drama.
Hughes came on in relief after the visitor’s lead off batter reached on a single. He retired the first batter when catcher Dawson Devane made a spectacular catch on a foul pop-up. Next, a single brought the tying run to the plate. He also reached on a dropped fly ball. Hayesville second baseman Michael Mauney stopped the bleeding by squeezing a pop-up for the second out, but a two-run double cut the lead to one.
The two-bagger was Hiwassee Dam’s last hurrah. Hughes slammed the door shut with a swinging strikeout that stranded two Eagles and ended the game.
Hughes also scored the game-winning run when burned up baseline lime for an infield single, stole second, took third of Cooper Matheson’s sacrifice and galloped home with Hayesville’s fifth run on Mauney’s solid two-out single to left.
The Yellow Jackets scored two in the first inning and two in the second while Sellers posted goose eggs by mixing fastballs and off-speed pitches like a Waring blender.
Hiwassee Dam was scoreless until the Eagles took advantage of a pair of errors to plate two runs in the fifth.
Hayesville also benefited from fielding blunders. Hiwassee Dam booted eight plays.
Shaheen led Hayesville with two hits in three at bats. He also scored a run and drove in another.
Mauney and Matheson had one hit, one run and one RBI. Mauney had a pair of steals; Matheson one. Tate Roberts also knocked in a run. Devane and Peyton McGaha scored one run each. Devane also stole a base. Sellers and Hughes also had a steal.
Hayesville 22, Hiwassee Dam 0
The game was actually closer than the score indicated. The contest was scoreless through three innings. The Yellow Jackets exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning and 15 runs in the fifth and final inning on the Eagles diamond on Wednesday.
Six Yellow Jackets had two or more hits in support of Shaheen, who pitched with precision. Hayesville also capitalized on seven Hiwassee Dam errors.
Nearly every Yellow Jacket had a big day. Here’s a summary:
• Roberts - 3-for-4 including a double, three runs, three RBIs, three assists and one putout.
• Hughes - 2-for-2, two runs and two RBIs
• Shaheen - 2-for-3, three runs, two steals and one RBI.
• Mauney - 2-for-3, two runs and one RBI.
• McGaha - 2-for-4 including a double, two steals, one run and one RBI.
• Sellers - 1-for-1 and two RBIs.
• Devane - 1-for-2, two runs, two RBIs and two steals.
• Adam Brown - 1-for-2, one run and one RBI.
• Matheson - 1-for-3, two runs and one RBI.
• Cade Caruso - 1-for-3, one run and one RBI.
• Landon Cheeks - one RBI.
• Brady Reynolds - one RBI.