By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Centennial Bank’s White junior team suffered an unceremonious end to season, but it was in a game that no other junior team from Cabot had ever qualified for. Cabot lost 15-1 in the semifinals of the Mid-South regional in Bryant, but not before beating Atlanta, Texas in the second round and winning a Centennial Bank record 34 games this season.
The final win came in Saturday’s second round, as southpaw Gavin Tillery tossed shut down Atlanta, giving up just five base hits and one earned run as Centennial Bank won 7-2.
Atlanta scored one run in each of the last two innings, but a huge top of the sixth for Cabot put them in control with a 6-0 lead.
Cabot scored the game’s first run in the fourth inning when leadoff hitter Lee Sullivan drew a one-out walk, and scored on three wild pitches.
In the decisive sixth, Sean Williams led things off by hitting a 3-0 pitch to left field for a double. Jonathan Latture then walked and Sullivan reached on a fielder’s choice in which everyone was safe.
Dylan Bowers then singled to left to score Williams and Chris Odom drove in Latture with a sacrifice fly to left field. Ground balls by Tillery and Brandon Jones led to two outs, but Jones’ drove in the third run of the inning.
Dalton Hurst then scorched a grounder to shortstop, where Atlanta’s Dellion Smith couldn’t handle it, leading to two more runs scored for the Panthers.
Cabot’s final run came in the last inning. Latture got a leadoff hit to centerfield. Sullivan reached on another E6 and Odom walked to load the bases. Tillery then took a pitch off his hip to score Latture and set the final margin.
Tillery and Hicks each finished the season with earned run averages below 2.00. Hicks had a 6-2 season record and a 1.85 ERA. Tillery went 8-3 with a 1.95 ERA. Chris Odom was also solid with a 4-2 record and a 3.68 ERA.
The Panthers also had some solid numbers offensively. Tillery was also the team’s leading hitter, but just by a hair over Hicks. Tillery had a .446 batting average with 41 RBIs, while Hicks hit .440 with 40 runs batted in on a team-high 161 plate appearances.
He also led the team in doubles with 17. Dylan Bowers was just barely under .400 at .398, and Odom wasn’t far behind at .391.
Latture led the team in home runs with two to go along with his .358 average and 28 RBIs.
