Yellow Jackets Stay Hot with Second Straight Shutout Over Cherokee

(Photo by Carissa Daniels) Senior Peyton McGaha plays a key role in the latest Yellow Jacket win.

The Hayesville Yellow Jackets are heating up at the right time, delivering another dominant performance on both sides of the ball Tuesday.

After putting up 10 runs in a win over Robbinsville last Friday, Hayesville matched that total again, blanking the Cherokee Braves 10-0 for their second straight shutout victory.

The Yellow Jackets’ offense came alive with 13 hits — their highest single-game total since April 2025 — keeping constant pressure on Cherokee’s defense throughout the game.

Peyton McGaha led the way at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a triple, two stolen bases and two runs scored. Ben Bethel also had a flawless outing, finishing 3-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and two runs.

Hayesville wasn’t relying on just a couple of bats, though, as the lineup produced consistent contact from top to bottom to fuel the lopsided win.

The victory marks the third in a row for the Yellow Jackets, who improve to 3-4 on the season. During the streak, Hayesville’s pitching staff has been nearly untouchable, allowing zero runs across all three games while boosting the team’s scoring average to 6.1 runs per game.

Cherokee drops to 1-5 with the loss.

The two teams won’t have to wait long for a rematch, as Hayesville is set to face Cherokee again Friday on the road at 4:30 p.m., looking to extend both its winning and shutout streaks.