By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Four different Lonoke players reached base on every at-bat as the Jackrabbit baseball team won a three-inning, 24-0, rout at Helena-West Helena Central on Wednesday in a 4A-2 Conference matchup. The very next day, the Jackrabbits traveled to Newport for another easy win, beating the Greyhounds 13-1 to improve to 10-6 overall and remain perfect in conference at 6-0.
Savonte Rountree went 4 for 4, Casey Martin and Gabe Rooney went 3 for 3 with one walk and Haven Hunter went 2 for 2 with two base-on-balls to lead the offensive firestorm at HWHC. Meanwhile, Keith Lingo faced the minimum nine batters in throwing a no-hit shutout over three innings.
Lonoke only had two extra-base hits, one by Hunter and one by Martin, but could have had many more. Once the game was out of hand, Lonoke coach Darrick Lowery resorted to stopping players from advancing more than one base no matter where the ball was on the field.
On Thursday, it was Lingo’s bat that highlighted the offense. He hit a three-run home run in the top of the second inning and drove in another run later in the game to finish with four RBIs. Hunter and Kade Stuart combined to throw Lonoke’s second no-hitter of the week.
Hunter threw four innings with three strikeouts and one walk.
Newport’s lone run was unearned after a walk, a dropped third strike, a mishandled throw to first and a sacrifice grounder. Stuart struck out the side in order in the bottom of the fifth to close the show on the 10-after-5-mercy rule.
Tallon Swint went 3 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Caleb Horton went 3 for 4 with two runs batted in. Martin, Rountree, Stuart and Kameron Cole all had two base hits.
The Jackrabbits complete their league schedule next week by hosting Central Arkansas Christian on Monday and playing eStem in Little Rock on Thursday.
