By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The bats came alive for the Cabot Lady Panthers last Tuesday at Marion, and stayed alive on Friday as they clobbered West Memphis 17-2 to move to 3-0 in conference play.
The first six Lady Panthers to step to the plate scored and the first seven reached base safely. Things stopped abruptly, however, when the next three batters popped up in the infield.
Rachel Allgood got things rolling for Cabot by drawing a leadoff walk. Erin Eckert then reached on an error at third base and both runners scored on a double by shortstop Heather Hill. Another double by Kaitlyn Felder scored Hill, and Felder scored on a hit by Molly Wood. Macee Abbott then cleared the bases with a triple and scored on a passed ball to make it 6-0.
The Lady Panthers added three more in the very next inning on three hits and a walk. Hill started it with a one-out single and scored on an RBI double by Felder. Abbott walked with two outs and both base runners scored on a hit by Hannah Montgomery.
Five more came in the third inning, starting with a leadoff home run by nine-hole hitter Brandyn Vines. Allgood reached on an E7 and Eckert doubled to drive in the run. Hill then got another RBI single and scored when Felder reached on another West Memphis error. Abbott then got her third RBI with a single to left field.
West Memphis finally got on the board in the top of the fourth thanks to a two-run error by Cabot.
The Lady Panthers set the final margin and ended the game with two outs in the bottom of the fourth when they went up by 15 runs. Vines reached safely again, this time on an error in center field. Eckert drew a one-out walk and Felder got two more RBIs with a double to left field. She then scored on a single by Shauna Attendorn to put an end to the game.
Lauren McCluskey started on the mound and retired the first nine batters in order. The Lady Blue Devils got one hit and drew one walk before the error scored the base runners. McCluskey gave up just the one hit and one walk in four innings, striking out eight, including fanning the side in order in the third.
Cabot, 5-6, is scheduled to host Mountain Home in a 7A/6A East doubleheader today, and will travel to Jonesboro for a single league game on Friday.
