Andrews – Baseball and softball season is officially underway in The Valley after the Wildcats opened their season against Hayesville.
Baseball
The Wildcats opened their season on the road in Hayesville as they lost to the Yellow Jackets 11-1 on March 11.
The Jackets got on the board right away with a run in the first inning, but then the Wildcats tied it as Drew Dartez scored the Cats’ lone run.
Hayesville then added three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-1 lead. The Yellow Jackets followed it up with two runs in the third, three in the fourth and tacked on two more in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.
On the mound for the Cats, Ethan Sutton gave up nine runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Dawson Stalcup gave up two runs on two hits.
The Wildcats retuned home Friday and lost again to the Jackets 8-1.
Hayesville scored a run in the top of the first, but Andrews immediately tied it as Kegan Ellis scored the lone run for the Wildcats.
The game remained tied until the top of the third, when Hayesville’s offense went to work and added five runs, then they added two more in the fourth. The final three innings were scoreless.
Kelby Waldroup pitched 4.2 innings for the Cats, giving up eight runs on seven hits and six walks. He picked up two strikeouts in his outing on the mound. Logan Hyde pitched 2.1 innings, only gave up one hit and struck out five batters.
The Wildcats will travel to Robbinsville for their next game at 4:30 p.m. Friday. On Tuesday, Andrews travels to Cherokee to take on the Braves.
Softball
On Friday, the Lady Wildcats hosted their home opener and fell to Hayesville 14-5.
Hayesville scored one run in the top of the first, but Andrews immediately tied it. Hayesville then scored five runs in the top of the second, then Andrews added two more to trail 6-3.
Hayesville began to pull away with three more runs in the third and one in the fourth to lead 10-3 through four innings.
They made it 12-3 in the top of the fifth before the Lady Cats brought in a run to make it 12-4. The sixth inning was the only scoreless inning of the game. In the seventh, Hayesville added two more, while Andrews scored one.
The Lady Cats scored five runs on eight hits. Kaiya Ellis and Alexis Beasley both led the team with three hits each. Ellis was the only Lady Cat to score more than one run as she crossed home plate twice Friday.
Ellis, Beasley and Katie Moses all had extra-base hits, with Moses getting a triple and Ellis and Beasley hitting doubles. The Lady Cats had nine stolen bases led by Maleia Egan with three bases stolen, while Ellis and Moses both had two.
On the mound, Lauren Cochran pitched a complete game, giving up 14 runs on 21 hits and one walk. She also had two strikeouts in her 104-pitch outing.
Like the baseball team, the Lady Cats will travel to Robbinsville at 4:30 p.m. Friday, then travel to Cherokee on Tuesday.