The Hayesville Yellowjackets will square off against the Franklin Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hayesville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Hayesville's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Cherokee. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Yellowjackets.
Kyle Shaheen
| 04/08/25 @ Cherokee | 3 |
| 04/21/25 vs Cherokee | 2 |
| 03/21/25 @ Hiwassee Dam | 2 |
| 03/12/25 vs Towns County | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Hiwassee Dam | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
The team relied heavily on Kyle Shaheen, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Hayesville: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 5-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Ben Bethel, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs.
Hayesville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .444. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Franklin gave up the first runs last Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 7-2 win over West Henderson.
Caden Mason tossed a big game, tossing six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, Addix Sutton was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaiah Deas, who went 2-for-4 with two runs.
Hayesville's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-6. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Franklin, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-9 record this season.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hayesville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .380. However, it's not like Franklin struggles in that department as they've averaged .322. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hayesville might still be hurting after the 11-5 defeat they got from Franklin when the teams last played on April 2nd. Will the Yellowjackets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
