By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Lady Panthers fastpitch winning streak continues into the state tournament as a result of a 6-0 win over Nettleton Monday evening in Cabot. The Lady Panthers got just six base hits, but scored in four straight innings to get the win going away.
Freshman pitcher Cherie’ Barfield got the win, throwing a two-hitter while striking out 12 Lady Raiders.
Barfield got some help from her defense as well. The Lady Panthers got several outs with good hustle on balls that could have dropped in for base hits.
“Once again our defense did a good job,” Cabot coach Becky Steward said. “There were a couple of hustle plays that they could have given up on. Hopefully this will carry over to the state tournament.”
The Lady Panthers got on the board in the second inning. Becca Bakalekos led off with a single, and scored on a one-out triple by Ashton Seidl. Seidl then scored on a base hit by Jessica Walton to put Cabot up 2-0.
In the third, Haley Dougan and Crystal Cox walked to lead off the inning, but the next two went down in order.
Rachel Glover then got a two-out single to score Dougan, but Cox was left stranded on third with Cabot leading 3-0.
Jessica Lovell walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Again, the next two batters made outs, setting up another two-out rally.
It started with a single by Dougan, and ended with a two-RBI double by Cox to push the Lady Panthers’ lead to 5-0.
The final run came in the fifth when Glover hit a triple with one out. She scored two batters later on a single by Seidl that set the final margin.
Nettelton’s only real threat came in the top of the seventh inning when Whitley Carter hit a triple with one out. Jordan Hupard then flew out to third base, and Barfield fanned Lindsey Farris to end the contest.
The win lifts the Lady Panthers to 21-7 overall.
They will begin play in the Class AAAAA state tournament at 3:30 p.m. Saturday against Conway at the Cabot city park.
