IN SHORT>> Three runs in sixth lift Lady Panthers
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panthers put together a three-run rally in the sixth inning Monday night to mount a 4-3 comeback victory over North Little Rock in non-conference fastpitch softball action.
The Cabot ladies got three hits and took advantage of a couple of Lady Wildcats miscues to pull out the late win.
North Little Rock flew out of the gates, collecting three hits and three runs in the top of the first inning against Cabot senior pitcher Holly Vance. Vance settled in for the remainder of the game, however, and kept the Lady Wildcats bats in check.
NLR catcher Sara Springer singled to centerfield to start the first-inning onslaught. Springer’s hit was followed by an RBI triple over the head of Cabot centerfielder Jamie Sterrenberg. Vance fanned Devin McWayne, but hit third baseman Farren Wright before a two-RBI double down the right-field line by Sara Lapps completed the scoring and gave the Lady Wildcats a 3-0 lead.
The score would remain 3-0 until the bottom of the third, when Cabot capitalized on a NLR error.
Cabot senior April Ellison reached base on a fielder’s choice grounder to second base. Amanda Oates then hit a grounder to third, but Wright’s throw to first was in the dirt and rolled far enough into the right-field corner to allow Ellison to score from first base.
The game settled into a pitchers’ duel the rest of the way until Cabot came alive in the sixth inning.
Ellison got things started with a leadoff single. Oates then doubled to put runners on second and third. Sophomore Jamie Sterrenberg struck out to record the first out of the inning, but catcher Amber Jolly singled to drive in Ellison and make it a one-run ballgame.
With Vance at the plate, Oates scored after a wild pitch from Kelsey Whitlock got past Springer to tie the game.
Jolly then scored the game-winner when Vance put the ball in play.
Vance came out for the top of the seventh and shut down the Wildcats to secure the victory.
The win lifted the Lady Panthers to 4-1 on the season. Cabot also owns a non-conference win over Watson Chapel and conference victories over Sylvan Hills and Forrest City. The one loss so far this season was at the hands of Sheridan.
The Lady Panthers played West Memphis Tuesday night and travel to Searcy for another AAAAA-East matchup Friday.
