By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
A great hitting night for the home team and a series of errors by the visitors led the Cabot Red junior American Legion team to a 12-2 victory over Bryant on Monday in Cabot.
The Centennial Bank team got 12 base hits and the Black Sox committed eight errors to lead the Panthers to the huge victory.
Cabot scored the first nine runs of the game with two in the first, five in the second and two in the third.
Three Bryant errors led to both Cabot runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kayde Ridgeway and Jarrett Pitchford each reached on infield errors. After a walk that loaded the bases, Lino Garcia was hit by a pitch to score Ridgeway. Austin Jones then reached on an error at third base that also scored Pitchford.
Back at the top of the order to start the second inning, Braden Jarnagin singled, followed by walks by Ridgeway and Ethan Holland. Garcia then hit a grand slam to clear the bases and make it 6-0. Jacob Womack then singled and scored two batters later on another Black Sox error.
Pitchford singled to start a two-out rally in the third inning. Holland reached on an E5 and Garcia doubled to drive in both runs.
After a scoreless fourth, Bryant posted two runs in the top of the fifth to make it 9-2, but Cabot answered with three in the bottom of the frame to end the night early on the mercy rule.
Ridgeway started the rally with a leadoff single to right field. Pitchford then bounced one over the wall in left field for a ground-rule double that left runners at second and third.
After a strikeout, Bryant intentionally walked Garcia to load the bases and set up a force out at every base, but the plan backfired.
Womack singled to centerfield to easily score Ridgeway. When the Bryant outfielder mishandled the bounce, Pitchford was also able to make his way home and make it 11-2.
Womack stood at second after the play and stole third base. The pickoff throw was in the dirt and got past Bryant’s third baseman, allowing Womack to score the game-ending run standing up.