By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Sylvan Hills’ 11-1 victory over Cabot was all about maximizing opportunities at the plate.
But stellar defense didn’t hurt anything.
Sylvan Hills starting pitcher Korey Arnold struck out eight and gave up four hits in four shutout innings as the Optimist Bruins won big Wednesday night in the American Legion senior nightcap at Mike Bromley Field.
The junior Bruins won the opening game against Cabot with a six-run rally in the bottom of the fifth, but the senior Bruins went with an opposite strategy as their first six hitters scored in the first.
They added another run in the bottom of the third and scored four in the bottom of the fourth to take an 11-0 lead.
Matt Turner prevented a shutout for Cabot when he hit a two-out double to right to drive in T.C. Carter, who walked.
Cabot used much of its pitching staff against the hard-swinging Bruins.
Andrew Reynolds started and endured the Bruins’ first-inning attack in which they got four hits and took advantage of a pair of walks and one fielding error. Reynolds managed to retire the side in the bottom of the second with only one hit and no runs, but gave up another run in the third.
C.J. Jacoby relieved Reynolds in the bottom of the fourth but gave up a single and three straight doubles with two outs, which led to four more runs, and Jacoby quickly gave way to Chase Beasley.
Ty Van Schoyck led off the game with a walk to start things off for Sylvan Hills. Arnold advanced him with a single and Schoyck scored on a single by Josh Fortner.
Gino Jamerson reached on an error by Cabot third baseman Ty Steele to load the bases and that set up Blake Rasden, who hit a two-run double down the first base line to give Sylvan Hills a 3-0 lead with no outs.
Trey Sims kept things going when he walked to load the bases again for the Bruins.
Cabot finally regrouped and induced a groundout by Greg Atchinson, and Reynolds followed by striking out Justin Cook.
Michael Lock battled Reynolds to a full count, and finally found his pitch when he hit a three-run double into the right-field corner.
Sims scored the Bruins’ next run in the bottom of the third when he walked and scored on Atchinson’s single to left.
Jacoby gave up a leadoff walk to Arnold in the bottom of the fourth before inducing popups from Fortner and Jamerson. But Rasdon singled to right and advanced Arnold to third and Sims followed with a two-run double to the left field fence.
Atchinson doubled to left to drive in Sims and make it 10-0, and Cook drove in one more run when he doubled to right to score Atchinson.
Rasdon was 2 for 3 with two RBI and two runs. Atchinson was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI and Fortner was also 2 for 3 with an RBI. Sims had one hit and reached on two walks to score three runs.
