Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville leadoff batter Michael Mauney motors home with one of his team-high 21 runs. "Money" Mauney scored five runs in the Yellow Jackets last two games.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Boff! Thwack! Kapow!
Last Tuesday’s Hayesville vs. Cherokee baseball game resembled an episode of the old Batman TV show, with the Braves in the role of villains pummeled and tossed threw the air by the caped crusaders, aka the Yellow Jackets.
Smoky Mountain Conference leading Hayesville scored 23 runs in four innings during two hours of batting practice served against Cherokee’s unfortunate pitching staff in a 23-3 downybrook on the Braves diamond.
Holy booming bats, Batman!
Hayesville, 8-6 overall, 7-0 SMC, roughed up three Cherokee pitchers with 30 hits, a .638 team batting average and 20 runs batted in.
“We batted around three times. Swinging the bat was contagious,” remarked Hayesville Coach Joe Jack Sellers.
The offensive eruption came after Sellers gave his team a talk about team chemistry after two disappointing losses to 3A schools the week prior.
“It felt good to win again,” Sellers remarked.
Hayesville wasted no time vanquishing the bad guys. The jacked-up Jackets erupted for 20 runs in the first inning.
Sellers then emptied his dugout. “Our starters didn’t even play defense,” he said.
The bench brigade came through like Alfred the butler. Rob Barter, Jacob Cody and Cooper Matheson cracked two hits each.
Cody also pitched an impressive inning, setting the side down in order and striking out two.
Pitcher/first baseman Jackson Sellers also had the Braves eating out of his hand. He retired all six batters he faced and whiffed three.
Kyle “Teddy” Shaheen teed off with three hits, three RBI’s and three runs and raised his batting average to .396.
He wasn’t the only steel-driving man slinging a 20-pound sledgehammer.
Michael “Money” Mauney and Chance Hughes had three-hit games. Mauney upped his batting average to .447, had an RBI and turned his three safeties into three runs. Hughes scored twice.
Speaking of threes, Tate Roberts drove in three runs and Ben Bethel scored three times.
Hayesville had two hits apiece from starters Kendall Boyer, Cade Caruso, Dawson Devane and Roberts.
Hayesville looks to clinch its second consecutive conference crown when the Yellow Jackets return to the diamond following spring break. Play resumes Monday when Cherokee, 2-7 overall, 1-6 SMC, visits. The Jackets then travel to Robbinsville, 4-12 overall, 3-4 SMC, on Tuesday before hosting Franklin, 8-9 overall, on Thursday and welcoming Robbinsville on Friday.
Hayesville 20-1-1 1 = 23
Cherokee 0-0-3 0 = 3
Hayesville highlights
Hits - Mauney three, Shaheen three, Hughes three, Barter two, Boyer two, Caruso two, Cody two, Devane two, Matheson two, Roberts two, Bethel, Fuentes and Reynolds
RBI - Shaheen three, Roberts three, Boyer two, Cody two, Barter, Bethel, Cheeks, Fuentes, Matheson and Mauney
Doubles: Roberts
Runs: Bethel three, Mauney three, Shaheen three, Cody two, Hughes two, Roberts two, Barter, Boyer, Caruso, Devane, Fuentes and Stillwell
Stolen bases: Bethel and Sellers
Sac: Roberts
Walks: Cheeks, Fuentes and Sellers
Hit by pitch: Bethel