By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s junior team two American Legion squad split wins with Beebe’s Post 91 team in a doubleheader Thursday. Cabot won the first part of the twin bill 6-1, while Beebe took the second game 6-3 at Cabot Community Park.
In the first game, Cabot (1-7) scored two runs in the first inning to take an early lead. Leadoff hitter Clay Spafford started things off for Cabot with a double to right field. Drake Boroughs was up next for Cabot, and Boroughs laid down a routine bunt in order to advance Spafford to third.
As Boroughs hustled to first, pitcher Jonathan Underwood’s throw was off, and Spafford scored on the errant throw while Boroughs moved to second on the play. Boroughs scored two batters later when Josh Kelping hit a line drive single to right field to put Cabot up 2-0.
Boroughs scored again for Cabot in the third when three-hole hitter Dillon Buchannan hit a double to the wall in right center field. Neither team scored again until the fifth inning when Cabot added three more runs to its total, and took a comfortable 6-0 lead.
Beebe scored its lone run of the game in the top of the sixth when Brandon Gray hit a line drive double to left field, sending Elijah Cannon home to make the score 6-1. The game was called after Beebe’s at bat in the inning due to the two hour time limit.
“In the first game we played excellent,” said Cabot coach Greg Frantal. “We played error-free. I think we only had one mental mistake. But other than that we finally played a complete game as a team, which is something they haven’t done yet this year.”
Chris Lyons earned the win for Cabot after striking out five and not giving up any runs in four innings of work. Buchannan led all hitters at the plate, going 3 for 3 with two singles, a double, two RBI’s and a run scored.
Kelping went 2 for 3 for Cabot, while Spafford, Boroughs and Christian Henson had a hit apiece. Underwood, Gray and J.T. Rainbolt had the only hits for Beebe in the first game.
In the second game, which didn’t count as a Central Zone conference game, Frantal elected to sit several of his starters as Cabot is scheduled to play nine games over the next six days. Beebe took advantage of Cabot’s missing pieces, and scored five of its six runs in the top of the first.
Beebe scored its first run when Dylan Tippy hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing leadoff hitter Nate Rogers to tag up and score from third base. Beebe scored three of its next four runs on passed balls at home plate, resulting from Cabot’s experimental pitching.
Cabot wouldn’t go down easy though, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to cut Beebe’s lead to three.
Andrew Dolan singled to left field, driving in Boroughs for Cabot’s first run. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Brennan Bolson was hit by Beebe’s winning pitcher, Tippy, which allowed Dolan to score from third.
Beebe and Cabot both added their final runs in the third inning to make the score 6-3. Once the inning was over, the game was called due to the one hour, 30-minute time limit set for the second game.
“We’re getting better every game,” said Beebe coach Jon Underwood after the win. “They came together after that first game. That loss bothered them, but I think they’re going to be alright. They’re a good group of guys, and we’re proud of them.”
Beebe managed to get the win in game two despite only having one base hit in the game, an RBI-double from Dusty Grier.
Beebe’s nine walks and three runs scored on passed balls played the biggest role in the win. Dolan, Lyons and Jack Teague each had a base hit for Cabot in game two.
