Gary Corsair • Progress Hayesville shortstop Lila Roberts pivots after scooping up a hot grounder at Robbinsville.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
With two softball games remaining, Hayesville’s Lady Yellow Jackets are intent on finishing strong.
No one is more intent than Mallory Peck, who missed the first 10 games of the season due to shoulder surgery.
“Having Mallory back is great,” Coach Marissa Peck said. “It’s great to have her back. Of course, she’s still building up to speed and things like that.”
Peck – the younger one – hopes to be up to speed Thursday when Robbinsville visits for Senior Night and would like to be full throttle for Friday’s season-finale at Murphy.
Peck made her debut Tuesday, playing first base as Hayesville visited Robbinsville, a team smarting from a heartbreaking, extra-inning loss to Hiwassee Dam in the previous game.
That loss cost Robbinsville sole possession of the Smoky Mountain Conference lead. The Black Knights, 14-4 overall, 9-1 SMC, weren’t about to let Hayesville upset them.
Robbinsville prevailed 7-0 despite gutsy pitching from “Ironwoman” Addie Bunch, who has pitched 57 of the 67 innings Hayesville has played this year.
“Addie pitched really well today. She pitched a complete game,” Peck remarked. “The little things, some of those runs they scored were unearned, but they play small ball real well.”
Bunch did a great job of inducing ground balls, especially in the fourth and fifth innings, and Macie Wagner was ready when the Black Knights went deep.
“Plays of the game included Macie catching a couple of those really long fly balls in the outfield, which were crucial to us getting those early outs to get us out of those innings,” Peck said.
Offensively, Hayesville had trouble getting on base against Memory Frapp, who only allowed two hits. Daylyn Murray and Gracelynn Anderson had the Black-and-Gold’s only base knocks.
“We didn’t hit the ball as well as I would have liked. We made contact; we just hit it where they were. We’re definitely making more contact, so we are happy with that,” Peck said.