By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Junior American Legion team had little trouble with a shorthanded Jacksonville squad Wednesday at the Cabot Sports Complex. The Centennial Bank 17-under team hammered the visiting Gwatney Chevrolet squad 12-0 in five innings.
If the 10 base hits, five walks and two hit batters weren’t enough for Cabot, Jacksonville helped out by committing five errors over the course of the game.
Meanwhile, Cabot pitcher Logan Bell was sharp on the mound. He gave up just one hit, and none after the first inning. He retired the side in order in the second, third and fourth innings while striking out three and walking two in earning the victory.
Jacksonville’s best chance to score came in the top of the first inning when Caleb Anderson walked and Axton Ramick hit a line-drive single to left field. That put runners on first and second with one out, but Bell got a 6-5 fielder’s choice and a pop-up to second base to get out of the minor jam.
Centennial Bank then posted two runs in the bottom half and never trailed. After two quick pop-ups, the first Cabot rally started with two outs. Mason Griffin singled to right field before Bell doubled to left to put two in scoring position. Tanner Wilson then singled to center field to score Griffin. Bell also scored on the play after a failure to field the one-hop in the outfield.
Cabot then started the second inning with four-straight base hits. Brock Martin and Jake Moudy singled, with Moudy’s hit driving in Martin from third after a passed ball and a wild pitch. Moudy then advanced to third after an errant pick-off throw rolled through the ample foul territory at the new Cabot field.
Nine-hole hitter Masen Wade then doubled over the head of the Gwatney left fielder to score Moudy easily and give Cabot a 5-0 lead. Moudy then scored on a single by Graham Turner. After a strikeout, Griffin hit a fly ball to center field that was dropped, allowing Graham, who had stole second base, to score, and Griffin to reach second base. He then stole third and scored on a wild pitch to make the score 7-0.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Jacksonville began to struggle to find the strike zone. Blayse Quarnstrom drew a leadoff walk and Griffin singled to center field.
Logan Bell’s groundout to third advanced the runners and Tanner Wilson’s walk loaded the bases.
Jackson Olivi popped up to shortstop, invoking the infield-fly rule for the second out with the bases still loaded. Martin and Austin Scritchfield, who was hitting for Moudy, then drew RBI walks to make it 9-0.
Wade was hit to drive in another run, and Turner walked to drive in yet another. Quarnstrom then singled on his second at-bat of the inning to drive in the final run of the game.
Eight players got at least one base hit for Cabot, with Griffin and Bell get two apiece.
That win followed a 9-7 loss at Russellville on Tuesday. In that game, Cabot fell behind 4-0 early and saw a late rally come up short, despite out-hitting its host 10-8.
Martin, Scritchfield and Tanner Wilson each had two base hits in that game.
The Cabot junior team is now 10-12 this season and will host Sheridan at 6 p.m. Monday.