BY RAY BENTON
Leader sports writer
The Cabot American Legion team didn’t take much time to equal its previous hit total against Russellville. The Home Depot squad managed just one hit in a 10-1 loss a month ago, but leadoff hitter Sam Bates got that with the first swing of the game last Friday.
The extra hitting made the game close, but couldn’t secure a win as the Cogswell Motors team scored a single run in the bottom of the last inning to pull out a 4-3 victory.
Cabot jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and got several runners on base afterwards, but failed to bring them around.
Russellville clinched the game when Derek Owens doubled to lead off the inning, and Garrett Hill singled for the winning RBI.
It was Russellville’s only earned run of the game. Cabot miscues let Cogswell back into the affair. Two errors led to two Russellville runs in the fifth inning to cut Cabot’s lead to 3-2.
In the sixth, another run scored after a would-be strikeout ended up with Russellville’s Josh Boger standing on second base. The third strike was mishandled, and a wild throw to first sailed into right field.
A base hit followed and the game was tied at 3-3.
Sam Bates, Logan Lucas, Chris Gross and Colin Fuller accounted for Cabot’s four base hits. Russellville also totaled four hits off Cabot pitcher Justin Haas.
The Panthers are now 12-17 overall.
