By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot baseball team opened the 2017 season with an un-official exhibition win over Lonoke on Thursday, beating the Jackrabbits 9-8 in a close matchup.
The Panthers had to come from behind after giving up a run in the top of the first inning. They answered with three in the bottom of the first, and added two more in the second.
Lonoke then made it 5-2 in the fourth, and reclaimed the lead with a four-run fourth inning.
Cabot tied it in the bottom of the fourth without a base hit. Conner Linton and Caleb Harpole each walked with one out. Linton stole third before Logan Edmondson flied out to center field, allowing Linton to score after tagging up.
Zach Morris took the mound for Cabot in the fifth inning, and sat the Jackrabbits down in order.
Cabot got its first two batters on base in the bottom of the fifth when Clayton Gray walked and Blake McCutchen reached on a bunt that advanced Gray all the way to third base.
Houston King then grounded The Cabot baseball team opened the 2017 season with an un-official exhibition win over Lonoke on Thursday, beating the Jackrabbits 9-8 in a close matchup.
The Panthers had to come from behind after giving up a run in the top of the first inning. They answered with three in the bottom of the first, and added two more in the second.
Lonoke then made it 5-2 in the fourth, and reclaimed the lead with a four-run fourth inning.
Cabot tied it in the bottom of the fourth without a base hit. Conner Linton and Caleb Harpole each walked with one out. Linton stole third before Logan Edmondson flied out to center field, allowing Linton to score after tagging up.
Zach Morris took the mound for Cabot in the fifth inning, and sat the Jackrabbits down in order.
Cabot got its first two batters on base in the bottom of the fifth when Clayton Gray walked and Blake McCutchen reached on a bunt that advanced Gray all the way to third base.
Houston King then grounded out to first, but his sacrifice scored Gray and gave the Panthers the lead for good.
McCutchen later scored on a two-out single by Dillon Thomas that made it 8-6.
Lonoke got one back in the sixth when Dalton Smith drew a leadoff walk and later stole home.
Cabot got a rally going with two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the sixth when Kyler Franks drew ball four on a full count.
Franks stole second base, and scored on a hard ground ball to left field by Gray that made the score 9-7.
Lonoke got a great start to the seventh inning when Casey Martin hit a leadoff triple down the third base line.
A fly ball to shallow center field wasn’t enough to score the runner, but Haven Hunter hit a ground ball single to center that made it 9-8.
After a line drive out to left, Tallon Swint reached on an error at short, putting the winning run on base and the tying run in scoring position with two outs.
After Hunter stole third, Smith grounded out to Thomas at third base to end the rally and the game.
Lonoke finished with six base hits to just four for Cabot, but the Panthers drew a whopping 12 walks.
Michael Shepherd started on the mound for Cabot, but Morris got the win in two innings of middle relief in the fifth and sixth innings.
