By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Senior American Legion team won two games over the weekend. On Friday, the Panthers beat Little Rock Express 8-4 at home then went on the road to hammer Hot Springs Lakeside 11-3 on Sunday.
Cabot piled up 13 base hits in Sunday’s road win. Lakeside hung around for five innings, but Cabot blew it open in the sixth.
The Panthers scored two runs in the second inning and one in the third, and Lakeside scored two in the bottom of the fifth to make it 3-2 after five. But the Centennial Bank squad scored six runs in the sixth inning to assume command of the game.
Ryan Logan held the Rams in check for four innings before giving up three hits and two runs in the fifth. Cabot coach Craig Nyborg sent Kyle Kaufman to the mound with one out in the fifth, and he recorded the last two outs with no more damage done.
Working with a big lead for the last two innings, Kaufman got the save with little trouble.
Bryson Morris, Tyler Wilkie, Justin Goff and Dustin Morris each had two base hits. Bryson Morris, Casey Vaughan, Tristan Bulice and Dustin Morris all drove in two runs in the win. Cabot drew seven walks and five times batters reached by getting hit by a pitch. Logan was hit three times batting in the eight hole.
Bo Ritter was the only Ram with two base hits or more as Logan and Kaufman held the host team to just six total base hits.
Dustin Morris got the win on the mound in five innings of work against Little Rock Express. He gave up just five hits and two earned runs while walking three and striking out nine Express batters.
Vaughan inherited an 8-2 when he took the mound in the sixth. He shut Express down in the sixth inning but ran into a little trouble in the seventh, giving up two runs but still pitched well enough to earn the save.
It was another good night at the plate for the Panthers, who racked up 13 base hits on Friday as well.
Six players got two base hits each, including Bryson Morris, Vaughan, Bulice, Tyler Carter, Goff and Wilkie. Logan got the other base hit for Cabot.
Bryson Morris, Carter and Goff each drove in two runs as the team broke above .500 for the first time this season. After starting the season 0-6, Cabot now stands at 11-10 and has won four-straight games.
The Panthers faced Bryant last night and will take the rest of the week off. Their next game will be a home doubleheader against Pine Bluff Simmons at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
