By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot White junior American Legion team picked up a solid win over North Little Rock on Wednesday in the first round of the Gwatney Chevrolet Invitational at Dupree Park in Jacksonville.
Starting pitcher Gavin Tillery threw a seven-hit shutout in six innings of work as the Centennial Bank squad won 5-0.
Cabot had just one more hit than the Colts, but were much more productive with those hits. Centennial Bank got two runs in the bottom of the first for all the runs it needed, but still added one more in the second and two in the sixth to set the final margin.
Tillery’s only major foe was North Little Rock pitcher Jason Askins, who went 3 for 3 to account for almost half of the Colts’ base hits. The rest of the North Little Rock lineup combined to go 4 for 19 with six strikeouts and no walks.
Askins wasn’t bad on the mound either in his four innings of work. He gave up four hits and two earned runs while striking out three and walking two.
Adam Hicks led Cabot’s offensive charge, going 2 for 3 with a run batted in. Jonathan Latture, Chris Odom, Tyler Tucker, Trent Frizzell, Tyler Gilbert and Jess Reed all had one base hit for Cabot (2-2).
It was North Little Rock’s second-straight loss after winning four straight to start the season. The Colts won their pool and semifinal game in their own Memorial Day tournament last weekend, but lost the championship game 2-1 to Texarkana.
Cabot White will play Benton at 1:30 p.m. today with a chance to advance to tomorrow’s semifinal round.
The Cabot Red team lost its first-round game 12-3 to Bryant.
Red pitcher Seth Cummings had trouble finding the strike zone early, walking the first three batters he faced and five total in the first inning as the Black Sox jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead.
The game was much more competitive the rest of the way, but the early hole was too deep for Cabot to dig out of.
Cabot got two back in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Braden Jarnigan walked and Josh Kelpine singled to put two runners on base. They both scored with one out when Jarrett Pitchford’s grounder to shortstop was mishandled.
Cabot added its last run in the fifth inning when Kayde Ridgeway singled, stole second base and scored on a single by Pitchford.
The Red team will face Conway at 3:45 today on field one at Dupree Park.