By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The junior Centennial Bank American Legion team came up short in its bid for a district title, but rallied from an opening loss to advance to the final, and more importantly qualify for the state tournament that began yesterday in Sheridan.
The Cabot squad lost its opener to North Little Rock, and played on the brink of elimination through its next three games, but found a way to win them all for another chance at tournament host North Little Rock.
The tournament host Colts won the game 12-7 in extra innings, but not before a big late rally by Cabot erased a 7-0 deficit and sent the game into eight.
North Little Rock started well, getting two runs on board with its first two batters. Cabot helped with an error that allowed leadoff hitter Dillon Huckabee on board. That brought Nick Henry to the plate, who pulled one over the fence down the third baseline to give the Colts a quick 2-0 lead.
Cabot went down quickly early on. It took just 10 combined pitches to get rid of the first six Centennial batters. They finally got a couple on base when seven and eight hitters Colby Seigler and Adam Hicks led off with back-to-back singles. But the rally ended with a strikeout and a 6-4-3 double play on the next two at bats.
Meanwhile, North Little Rock was extending its lead with another run in the second and three more in the third. A run in the fourth made it 7-0.
Cabot rallied in the sixth with six runs on five singles and two walks.
Devin Burke then reached to lead off the seventh and cleanup hitter Tristan Bulice bunted to move him to second. A single by Aaron McKenzie got him to third, and a sacrifice grounder by Glover Helpenstill tied the game.
But the pitching faltered in the first extra frame. Four Colts walked, combined with two base hits and an error, and it was too much for Cabot to overcome.
The loss, though, may have been a blessing for Cabot’s chances at state. A win in that game would have meant another game that same night to determine the zone champion.
“I think not playing that extra game is going to help us,” Cabot coach Chris Gross said. “It leaves us some pitching that we would have had to use up in that game.”
Cabot had already played four games in two days, beating Rose Bud, Pine Bluff and Sylvan Hills in order to get to the title game.
The game against the Bruins didn’t start until almost 10 p.m. Wednesday, and lasted until after 1 a.m. Cabot pulled it out 12-4 after a seven-run sixth inning turned a close game into a win going away.
Nick Thomas and Devin Burke had three hits each in the game that saw 12 Centennial base knocks.
Against Pine Bluff, the No. 1 seed coming into the tournament, Cabot got just three hits total, but also got an outstanding performance by Helpenstill on the mound. Helpenstill held the Kell’s team to just one hit through seven innings.
“He threw a great game,” Gross said. “He did it in a game when we really needed it. He did a great job.”
The 3-2 record in the tournament sends the team to the state tournament at 16-9.
Cabot opened play in the state tournament in Sheridan last night against Texarkana. A win in that game means a 5 p.m. start today against the winner between Bryant and Jonesboro. A loss means a noon start time against the loser of the same game.
