Friday, June 20, 2008

SPORTS>>Russellville routs Cabot before break

By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor

It might have been the perfect time for Cabot to take a few days off.

Community Bank’s ‘AAA’ Legion baseball team headed into a 5-day layoff with a 12-1 pasting at the hands of Russellville on Wednesday night at Conrade Field.

The tale of this one can be told by the numbers: Cabot collected only two hits, while committing five errors, hitting six batters and issuing four walks. Russellville scored in every inning.

The game began with a Cabot error, whichprovided a preview of things to come. One single and two hit batsmen later, and Russellville was on the board with a 1-0 lead.

Cabot sent three harmless ground balls to the second baseman in its half of the first, before Russellville parlayed three singles and two Cabot errors into three more runs in the second.

Sam Bates drew a leadoff walk in the second, but was cut down between second and third base after Ben Wainright’s sacrifice bunt. That cost Community Bank a run as Matt Evans delivered one of the few solid blows all game — a ringing triple into the left field corner.

Three more singles and another Cabot error in the third extended the lead to 6-0. That grew to 10-0 when Russellville added four more runs on just one hit in the fourth.

There was a frightening moment in the top of the fifth when a Russellville batter sent a rocket back to the mound. Reliever Andrew Reynolds appeared never to see it, but it went right into his glove.

Cabot avoided the shutout in the fifth when Jeffrey Cooper delivered a pinch single to drive in Reynolds.

Russellville picked up 10 hits in the contest.

Community Bank returns to action Monday at Maumelle.