Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville hurler Kendall Boyer delivers heat against Hiwassee Dam.
By Gary Corsair
Guest Writer
Hayesville has more hits than Elvis and the baseball season is only at the halfway mark.
The kings of the Smoky Mountain Conference entered this week’s Spring Break with a six-game win streak and 6-0 conference mark largely due to Coach Joe Jack Sellers’ hit-makers propensity to get on base and scoot around to score.
The Heck Yeah Yellow Jackets boast a .942 on base plus slugging percentage, .360 batting average, 82 runs, and 34 steals in 39 attempts, statistics that go a long way to explaining how Hayesville has averaged 14 runs a game in its last three outings.
“These kids put in a lot of time and are getting better,” Sellers succinctly stated.
That was evident when Hayesville left the Hiwassee Dam Eagles “all shook up” to the tune of 18-0 last Thursday.
Three Jackets absolutely ignored the admonition “don’t be cruel.” Avery Leatherwood went 3-for-4, drove in 5 runs and scored 3 times, Cade Denton smacked two doubles as he went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run and Tate Roberts was 3-for-3 with 2 runs and a ribbie.
Hayesville’s 16-hit explosion also featured two hits, two RBI and 2 runs by Braxton Cherry and two hits and a pair of runs by Logan Caldwell, whose .500 batting average leads the team. Peyton McGaha was 1-for-1 with two RBI, a run and a steal.
Jackson Sellers drew three walks, while Michael Mauney, Dakota Matheson and Kyle Lunsford each reached on walks twice.
Hayesville displayed a “now or never” attitude from the get-go. Cherry, the second batter of the game, cracked a single and around to score two batters later when Denton smoked a shot to left field that came within a whisker of being outta there. McGaha, who came in to run for Leatherwood after he walked, also scored. Hayesville 2, Hiwassee Dam 0.
The Yellow Jackets tried to kick the door further open in the second inning but left the bases loaded.
The goose egg wasn’t a worry since Hayesville hurler Kendall Boyer proved to be just “too much.” Only two Eagles reached base in the first two innings, one on an infield error, the other on a bloop single. Boyer set the other six Eagles back to the dugout with three strikeouts and three grounders.
Hayesville opened the floodgates in the third inning as Hiwassee Dam starter Clay Davis and the Yellow Jackets went “separate ways.” Hayesville plated 8 runs on four singles — Leatherwood’s pop brought home 2, Denton’s first double, 3 walks, two errors, a fielder’s choice, and Braxton Cherry’s sacrifice fly. When the smoke cleared, the Yellow Jackets were up 9-0.
Hayesville sent Hiwassee Dam to “heartbreak hotel” with 2 runs in the fourth and 6 in the fifth.
Boyer earned the win, making “memories” by allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out six in going the distance.
Hayesville returns to action at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 at Cherokee.