By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Cabot’s Centennial Bank junior Team Gross had a disappointing start, but a strong finish to the North Little Rock Memorial Day tournament. Team Gross started the event with a 3-2 loss to Benton on Friday, but followed that with an 11-0 rout of Beebe on Saturday, and a 7-5, come-from-behind victory over Jacksonville-Gwatney on Saturday to finish the tournament 2-1.
Those four teams made up Pool B in the four-pool, 16-team tournament. Benton won the pool by going 3-0 and winning all three games by one run. They followed the win over Cabot with a 4-3 win over Jacksonville and an 8-7 win over Beebe.
Jacksonville beat Beebe 16-0 to finish third in the pool while Beebe went winless.
In the final game against rival Jacksonville, the Gwatney squad scored three runs in the top of the last inning to take a 5-4 lead, its first lead since going up 1-0 in the top of the first inning.
Jacksonville’s Troy Allen led off and was hit by a pitch. Derek St. Clair then reached on an error at shortstop and Austin Allen singled to left field to drive in both base runners. He stole second base, took third on a passed ball and scored on another passed ball. It was the second time in the game Austin Allen scored from second on two passed balls, each time by a different catcher.
“We just have really young guys back there,” Cabot coach Chris Gross said. “They’re learning the position and they’re making some mistakes, but they’re going to get better.”
Cabot came to bat in the bottom of the fifth with the one-hour, 50-minute time limit nearly up. It didn’t take long to win the game. The Panthers did it without recording an out.
Gavin Tillery started the rally by drawing a walk. Glover Helpenstill then doubled to left field to put runners on second and third. Adam Hicks singled centerfield to score one run and leave runners at first and second with the score 5-4.
Dylan Bowers singled back to the pitcher, but no one scored on the play, leaving the bases loaded. But Dalten Hurst’s second double of the game cleared the bases, driving in three runs and clinching the victory.
“We didn’t swing the bats worth a flip against Benton,” Gross said. “We started swinging them in the fourth inning against Beebe, and we brought that with us in this game. Our approach at the plate was better and we hit the ball really well.”
Jacksonville got on the board first when Austin Allen singled with two outs, stole second and scored on two passed balls. Cabot answered in the bottom of the second. Riley Knudsen singled to centerfield to start the inning and Jonathan Latture reached on an error by Jacksonville pitcher Blake Perry. After a fly out, Jones and James got RBI singles to give Cabot a 2-1 lead.
Gwatney tied it in the second. Justin Abbot walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Deaundray Harris, to third on a single by Dejon Scott, and scored on another passed ball.
Cabot quickly reclaimed the lead. Knudsen reached on an error at third base, Latture walked and Coleman McAtee singled to drive in the run.
The next two innings were scoreless before Jacksonville’s three runs in the top of the fifth.
Lee Sullivan threw four innings for Cabot, giving up five hits while striking out three and walking one. He gave up two runs, but neither were earned.
Perry also went four innings for Jacksonville. He gave up seven hits while walking two and fanning two. He gave up three runs, but only one was earned.
Knudsen pitched the fifth for Cabot while James Tucker pitched the fifth for Jacksonville.
It was the middle of Cabot’s lineup that sparked things against Beebe on Saturday.
Four and five hitters Braden Jones and Landon James broke open the 0-0 tie in the fourth against Beebe. Jones bounced a double off the wall in centerfield, and James bounced one over the wall for a ground-rule double that kicked off a six-run rally.
Team Gross’ next game will be at home against Cabot’s Team Frantal. The all-Cabot doubleheader is set to begin at 5:30 at the city park.
Team Frantal went winless in its three games in Pool A at the NLR tournament.
