Murphy – In the Bulldogs’ first two baseball games this season, Murphy only had to play a combined eight innings, blowing past both Robbinsville, 20-7, and Cherokee, 15-0.
In game No. 3 against Hayesville, Murphy hit its first speed bump of a young 2021 season, falling to the undefeated Yellow Jackets 10-1.
“I’m disappointed that we lost, but it’s not a complete disaster, complete failure of a day,” Murphy head coach Adam Clonts said. “We’ve only played eight innings for the season. They’ve played a lot more, and we’ve not been in any situational stuff like we were today. Hopefully, we’ll come back and get better.”
Hayesville hit Murphy throughout, and Yellow Jackets pitcher Jeremy Stewart never let the Bulldogs respond. Denton was dominant, giving up just two hits and striking out eight in a complete game win.
“He kept us thinking at the plate,” Clonts said of Denton. “Kept us off balance, and we did not execute at bats and have very good at bats overall.
Isaac Cole and Jesse Kephart combined to pitch all seven innings for Murphy, with Kephart taking over in the fourth inning. Neither pitcher struggled with command, but Hayesville (5-0) had an answer for both and never let them get into a rhythm.
The Yellow Jackets struck first in the top of the first inning on a heads-up play by Connor Bradley. Bradley led off with a single, then stole second. Avery Leatherwood followed with a ground ball to short, but Murphy first baseman Briggs Cornwell was unable to pick the ball out of the dirt. The ball got past Cornwell, and Bradley took advantage by scoring to give Hayesville a 1-0 lead.
Murphy was able to get runners on to start both the first and second innings, coming up empty both times. Caleb Allen’s leadoff single to start the second was the Bulldogs’ first hit of the game and their last until the seventh inning. Denton wouldn’t allow another baserunner until the sixth inning, retiring the next 11 batters. Murphy’s best hit ball all day ended up being an out, as catcher Joe Swain’s laser to center was run down by a diving Bradley to end the inning.
Leatherwood’s two-run single in the top of the second gave Hayesville a 3-0 lead, and the Yellow Jackets would add three more in the fourth to put the game out of reach. Leatherwood ripped an RBI double down the left field line to extend the lead to 4-0, then after a Denton walk, Clayton Vandiver singled to right, but the ball got past the outfield and both Denton and Leatherwood scored. That was way more than Denton needed on the mound, as Murphy never had an answer.
Clonts thinks his team will get better as the season progresses. With several players helping Murphy football win a state championship, this week was the first time the whole Bulldogs’ roster has been practicing together, except for Kellen Rumfelt who sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder playing quarterback in last week’s final.
“We’ve been in baseball a month and this was our first week with everyone,” Clonts said. “Having everyone is great. We can work our defense in practice the way we need to and then come in with our BP the way we like to run it.
“Just to have everyone at practice is good for the team (to) gel (and) team bonding. Hopefully, Kellen will be back, and if he comes back that will really help us.”