By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Cabot’s senior American Legion team is off to a slow start. The Centennial Bank squad dropped both ends of a doubleheader last Friday at Batesville, and lost its home opener Monday evening 11-5 to the Bryant Black Sox.
The Black Sox jumped out to an early lead with four runs in the top of the first and extended that lead to 8-1 by the end of three innings. Bryant nearly ended the game early on the sportsmanship rule, holding a 9-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but Bryant pitcher Nate Rutherford committed an error that allowed Cabot to score and keep the game going the nine-inning distance. It was a rough inning altogether for Rutherford, who had pitched masterfully up to that point.
Bryson Morris got things going for Cabot when he was hit by a pitch with one out. He stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch.
Casey Vaughan hit a chopper back to the mound. Rutherford turned and tried to get Morris off the bag at third but failed, leaving everyone safe. Rutherford then faked a pick-off throw to third and caught Vaughan between first and second base, but his throw to second ended up in centerfield, allowing Morris to score and make it 9-2.
T.C. Carter made it 9-3 with a two-out, solo home run in the eighth inning. Bryant added two in the top of the ninth on RBI base hits by Marcus Wilson and Hunter Mayall.
Cabot set the final margin with their best inning of the game, a two-out rally highlighted by doubles by Vaughan and Carter.
Cabot got just four hits and on walks in six innings off Rutherford, but found its groove off relief pitcher Josh Maclin. The Centennial Bank squad got six hits in the final three innings off Maclin.
Cabot got base runners, it just couldn’t produce runs. There were also three walks and two hit batters for Cabot, but the team left 11 on base.
Bryant finished with 14 base hits and each team committed one error.
Rutherford got the win and Brandon Surdam took the loss on the mound. He pitched three innings, giving up nine hits while walking six, striking out four and allowing eight earned runs.
Vaughan, Surdam, Carter and Justin Goff had two hits each for Cabot. Bryson Morris and Dustin Morris added one hit apiece.
Jordan Taylor provided Bryant’s offensive highlight, smashing a three-run homer deep over wall in right field in the third inning.
In the doubleheader losses to Batesville, game two was a wild one, ending 16-15 in five innings. Cabot out-hit Batesville 12-9 but committed four errors.
Bryson Morris and Cole Thomas each had three base hits while Vaughan and Carter added two each in that game. Hayden Vinson and Tyler Wilkie rounded out the 12-hit game for the Centennial Bank squad with one hit apiece.
Morris reached every time to the plate, adding two walks to his three hits, and Thomas finished with four runs batted in.
Game one against Batesville was a 13-1 blowout loss.
Cabot (0-3) will be back in action on Thursday in a road doubleheader against the Conway Cougars.
