By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Lady Panthers took a game off from conference play to face 5A powerhouse Nettleton on the road Monday evening. After dominating the first seven games of the 7A-Central league schedule, the Lady Panthers were shut down by Lady Raiders junior pitcher Shelby Wise in a 2-0 loss.
Wise threw a perfect game, allowing no hits or walks while striking out 10 batters. Cabot sophomore Cheri Barfield took the loss at the mound, but still put up impressive numbers of her own. Barfield gave up three hits while striking out nine batters, but the three hits for the Lady Raiders were enough to take the decision.
“It was a pitchers’ duel,” Lady Panthers coach Becky Steward said. “My kids had a hard time trying to figure out the umpire’s strike zone. We played well, but we’ve got to start getting hits.”
The Lady Panthers have enjoyed strong play at the plate since the start of their conference season in early March, but had little to savor on Monday. Wise, the All-Conference hurler for Nettleton has earned a reputation as one of the most consistent pitchers in the state. She lived up to that reputation against Cabot, shutting down a team that has already seen tough pitching in a number of league wins in the 7A-Central.
Nettleton put its first score up in the bottom of the second inning, when Marissa Cope Scored on a hit by Jordan Rupard. It was Cope that drove in the other Lady Raiders score in the bottom of the sixth when she got her second hit of the game to send home Brea Smith.
The loss puts the Lady Panthers’ overall record at 15-6, with their 7A-Central league record remaining a perfect 7-0 to lead the conference halfway through the schedule.
As of deadlines on Tuesday at noon, last night’s game with Conway was still on schedule, but more storms were moving into the area. The Lady Panther’s next 7A-Central contest will be on Thursday at Mt. Saint Mary.
The Leader would also like to make a correction that occurred in the Saturday sports section. The Cabot first baseman in the picture that ran on page four was senior Haley Dougan — not Jennifer Bock. The freshman Bock is a member of the Lady Panthers junior varsity program.
