Wednesday, March 25, 2015

TOP STORY >> Elevator funds for courthouse

By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer

The Lonoke County Quorum Court last Thursday approved $35,000 toward the installation of an elevator for the courthouse.

The funds were taken out of the county’s housing bond money to cover the difference needed to complete the $282,000 elevator project.

“There were five bids that came in for the elevator. We were originally quoted $180,000. In reality, the lowest bid was $282,000. It was $100,000 more than we anticipated in the beginning,” County Judge Doug Erwin said.

Erwin said the county received a $140,000 grant along with General Improvement Funds grant money — $30,000 from Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot), $30,000 from  Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe) and $50,000 from former Rep. Davy Carter (R-Cabot).

Adding the elevator required that staff offices, including the one used by Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Graham, be relocated to the old sheriff’s office and call center.

JP Bill Ryker said there is $63,000 available with additional GIF funds that were promised for renovations and remodeling of the old sheriff’s office and call center.

In other business, the quorum court will have to vote again during the next meeting on an ordinance amending the 2014 operating budget for a cost-of-living adjustment of $300 per employee and elected officials.

The total cost of the raises would be $25,000.

The vote was 8-4 for, with one absent. But, since it was an apportion, them measure needed nine votes to pass.

Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley commended the CS and Z Volunteer Fire Department for rescuing a woman during the icy weather on Feb. 17 along Forbus Road.

The woman’s truck ran off the road and was on its side in a water-filled ditch. She had been stuck in the truck for two hours until a passerby reported the vehicle to emergency official.

The woman could not get out because there was a tree limb on the truck door.

Staley said CS and Z firefighter Nathan Duncan was the first person to the scene. CS and Z crews arrived with their trucks and were able use ladder and winch to rescue the woman.

State Rep. Tim Lemons (R-Cabot) presented a Senate citation on behalf of state Sen. Williams to former Lonoke County Coroner Sherry Stracener. She was a coroner for more than 20 years.

“She is the person none of us wanted to see in a professional manner, but we loved to see when she wasn’t doing her job,” Lemons said.

Lemons read, “In her job duties, her compassion far surpassed the responsibilities of her office.

“She once held a baby in her arms because she could not bear for the family to see it put into a body bag.

“She would let the family spend as much time as they needed after a family member had passed away. When a family did not attend a church where they could hold funeral services, she would find a church for them. She would also sing at funerals when the family wanted to hear ‘Amazing Grace’ one more time for Grandma.

“She would send a family card letting them know she was thinking of them.”

TOP STORY >> Farmers looking to plant

By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer

There is water on some fields in the southern part of Lonoke County and in drainage furrows in the lighter soils after recent rains, according to Lonoke County Extension Chief Jeff Welch.

“Wheat that’s been fertilized looks pretty good,” he said. “But we need to get fertilizer out with a nitrogen stabilizer, which will prevent the ammonia from going into the air instead of the ground.”

Welch said that’s a problem when the ground is wet and the weather warm. The nitrogen becomes a gas and goes directly into the atmosphere.

“Weather has delayed the wheat crop,” he said. The cold weather has slowed it, but, if the farmers can get into the field soon, they may make a decent crop. He said they need that because the price is down near break-even.

“The planting schedule will be very compressed,” he said. “They’ll be working long days.”
Some of the wheat has tillered and some is tillering now, which results in a larger harvest. The heads should start to elongate soon, he said.

Wet fields have delayed field preparation for rice, soybeans and corn.

“If we can start preparing the ground next week, and if temperatures are in the 70s with wind and sun to help dry the fields, then a good yield is still possible,” he said.

“We’re going to have delayed planting on those three crops. If we’re delayed two or three weeks, we’ll have reduced yields.

“If it’s warm and sunny and we don’t get more than a fifth of an inch of rain on Wednesday or Thursday, then next Tuesday or Wednesday farmers with sandier soils can take to the fields,” he said.

“Normally, we start rice in the last week of March. Now we’re looking at April 10,” he said — and that’s if the rain lets up.

“Same with corn,” he said. “It’ll be about April 10, with the assumption we don’t get into a weather pattern.”

But Welch said it was starting to get critical. “Within the next (week or so), if we’re in the same shape, we’re in trouble for early planted crops, and they usually have better yields — especially rice.”

Corn prices are expected to be down this year and maybe unstable, so Welch said farmers will be converting to milo, a feed grain with price stability.

Milo was subject to the sugarcane aphid last year and could force farmers to use the one insecticide with some effect on it.

“Soybeans, we’re on time. We usually plant earlier beans April 10,” Welch said.

But, if weather-related events hit at the wrong time, that could be trouble.

“We have enough moisture for pastures and hayfields, especially fescue-type pastures,” Welch said. Most local pastures are Bermuda.

All the ponds are full and irrigation reservoirs are full.

The deadline for farmers to upgrade expected yields and basis and to choose between different kinds of protective programs was been extended from Feb. 27 to March 31, he added.

TOP STORY >> City gets store for Dirt Cheap

By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer

Things are going to get Dirt Cheap in Jacksonville by the end of summer as the Mississippi discount chain has announced it will expand into Arkansas.

Jacksonville, along with Blytheville, are the first two stops for the 57-store chain in Arkansas.

The Jacksonville store will take over most of the remaining space in the old Walmart building near Hwy. 67/167. A portion of that space is already occupied by Cost-Plus Furniture.

The exact size of the new store and its opening are not available as the building owner, Tommy Lassiter, did not return a phone call.

Dirt Cheap’s marketing department didn’t respond either, and the firm’s president doesn’t take phone calls.

According to Dirt Cheap’s website, the first store opened in Hattiesburg, Miss. Dirt Cheap and its sister outlet, Treasure Hunt, have since grown into local favorites throughout Mississippi, offering deep discounts in all departments. 

“Over the past 25 years, our business has expanded, growing to be the largest buyer of insurance claims in the United States, while also adding other distressed situations such as manufacturer and retailer buybacks, closeouts, bankruptcies, overstocks, liquidations, customer returns and out-of-season goods,” according to the company’s web site.

So how did the name Dirt Cheap come about?

In October 1997, the Treasure Hunt warehouse shelves became so full of excess inventory that the company had a special sale.

All merchandise was sold at “dirt cheap” prices until gone, and the Dirt Cheap concept was born. 

As business progressed, the amount of inventory only grew, establishing a need for more than just a warehouse sale.

The first Dirt Cheap store opened in 1998, in Petal, Miss. The chain has since grown to 57 stores and counting. 

Today, Dirt Cheap is a standalone company purchasing its own merchandise and exhibiting its own unique selling strategies.

In 2006, the company created a wholesale division, selling the excess inventory the stores could not handle.

Merchandise changes frequently and are priced up to 90 percent less than retail.

With prices that low, the company has a “no return” policy. It also offers a military and senior discount on certain days.

EDITORIAL >> Cabot board sounds alarm

The Cabot School Board last week released an open letter criticizing proposed legislation that could hurt the district. The Leader ran an article Saturday under the headline, “Board warns on state cuts.” The school board is worried that more open-enrollment charter schools and more taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools will drain aid for public education.

“In our opinion, some of the proposed legislation does not serve the best interests of public education and, in particular, the Cabot School District,” warned the letter, which was signed by board president Donna Nash, vice president Brian Evans, secretary Ricky Hill and members Fred Campbell, Mark Russell, Dean Martin and Corey Williams.

They are worried that funding for public schools isn’t keeping up with rising expenses. The implication is that the Cabot School District will need a millage increase if the state keeps allocating funds away from public schools.

“For example, the Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research predicts a 2 percent increase in the cost-of-living expense for a school district over the next two years. However, the recommendation by the legislature was for a 0.84 percent increase to funding for public school districts. So, essentially, the funding to cover the increased costs of fuel, utilities, instructional materials and maintenance will be less than actual costs. The increase being proposed does not cover the cost of mandatory step increases for the faculty and staff of the Cabot School District.”

But that’s not all: “While the funding for traditional public education is being only slightly increased,” the letter continued, “funding for charter schools and even private schools continues to be increased without addressing the accountability of these schools (SB703 and SB789).

“There is also legislation (HB1552 and HB 1593) being considered to provide funding to private schools for students who transfer from public to private schools. This bill would essentially create a ‘voucher’ system which can be found in other states. If this bill becomes law, funding would be deducted from public schools and provided to private and parochial schools with none of the accountability expected of your local public school system,” the board wrote in the letter.

There’s more: “Two bills, SB847 and HB1733, even allow for the state to force a local school district to lease ‘underutilized’ property to an open-enrollment charter school. Charter schools are not required to complete the facility needs assessment, nor are they required to submit a facility plan. Traditional schools must submit both. Public schools, including the Cabot School District, compete for facilities funds based on needs and plans. This legislation means that taxpayer funds would simply be ‘granted’ to charter schools based upon the number of students enrolled without any of the requirements placed on public schools.

The school board says one day the state could take over not just failing school districts but also successful districts like Cabot, which will see funds directed away from them and spent on troubled districts and new charter schools.

Under proposed legislation, “a district may be taken over by the Arkansas Department of Education when a single school is placed in academic distress. ADE or a contracted entity may operate the district for an unlimited length of time. Though this may not impact the Cabot School District at this time, it will only be a matter of time before a push is made to control even high-performing districts. This happens because there is money to be made...Not only do these entities take resources from public schools, they also have the potential to eliminate community control of the local district.

“Additionally, under HB 1733, there are no appeals procedures and the proposed legislation does not provide a provision for removal from the achievement district status. The school/district could be under the control of the commission forever. Provisions of fair dismissal, employee hearings, personnel policies and negotiated contracts may be waived by the commissioner of education.

The board also criticizes HB1422 and HB1743, “which would move school board elections from September to the same date as primaries and the general election. This division from the general elections in November allows voters to focus on school issues and separates school board elections from the overly political nature of general elections.

“These two bills would...highly politicize the school board positions. To date, school board elections have been spared from the usual negativity associated with general elections and the focus has been on what is best for the local community.”

Let’s hope legislators from the Cabot area and all around the state heed to warnings of the Cabot School Board before an outstanding school district falls victim to politics and ideology. The children in Cabot and everywhere deserve better. Thank you, Cabot School Board, for speaking out in their behalf.

SPORTS STORY >> Beebe gets second at Devil Dogs

By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor

The Beebe boys’ track team took second place in the 11-team meet at Morrilton last Friday. The Badgers scored 147 points, finishing far behind track power Vilonia’s 268, but well ahead the 53 points put up by Dardanelle and Greenbrier for third place. The host Devil Dogs took fifth with 40 points.

The Badgers won just one event. Senior Jesse Crisco took first place in the discus with a toss of 127-feet, 3-inches. Dusty Grier took fourth and Wade Jones seventh in that event.

Beebe junior Connor Patrom tied for first with Dardanelle’s Chris Kershner in the 100-meter dash, each finishing in 11.81. Patrom’s teammate and classmate Keishaun Davidson finished third with an 11.90.

Justin Burlison and Nathan Clifton took fourth and fifth in the 200m for Beebe while John Paul Savage and Gus McCoy took third and fifth respectively in the 800m. Savage also took fourth in the mile while teammate Rob Swafford finished seventh. McCoy finished fourth in the two mile. Vilonia runners took the top three spots in both distance races.

Patrom and Davidson were back in the points in the 110-meter high hurdles, taking sixth and seventh place. Micah Dubose picked up a point for Beebe in the 300m hurdles with an eighth-place finish.

The Badgers’ 4x100 relay team of Jo’Vaughn Wyrick, Clayton Meurer, Trip Smith and Burlison finished second behind Greenbrier. The Badgers replaced Smith with Dubose and took third in the 4x400.

Beebe’s 4x800 relay team also took second, but finished 39 seconds behind Vilonia’s blazing fast 8:35.75.

Sophomore Kirkland Miller tied for second in the high jump with a leap of 5-10, and Patrom finished sixth.

The Badgers placed four in the top six of the pole vault, but Vilonia’s Tripp Reed won it by going 10 feet.

Nathan Clifton and Patrom finished sixth and seventh respectively in the long jump. Clifton also took fourth in the triple jump while teammates Wyrick and Tyler Childress finished tied for fifth. Grier finished third and Jones seventh in the shot put.

On the same day, the Lady Badgers took part in the Heber Springs Relays and finished fifth overall out of 18 teams with 43 points. The host team narrowly edged out Batesville 119 to 116, with Des Arc and Harding Academy taking third and fourth with 87 and 47 points.

Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School was also at Heber Springs, with the boys finishing eighth out of 20 teams with 33 points and the Lady Wolves getting seven total points for 15th place.

In the girls’ competition, Lighthouse’s Naje’ Harper took sixth in the 100-meter dash while Beebe’s Jabria Coleman finished eighth. Harper also finished seventh in the 200m.

Beebe’s Taylor McGraw finished fourth and Coleman fifth in the 400, and Beebe’s Allie Lane took fifth in the 800. Lady Badger Sydnye Shuttleworth finished seventh in the two-mile race and sixth in the pole vault.

McGraw took fifth in the triple jump with a leap of 30 feet. Shea Holland and Kierston Miller took seventh and eighth in the shot put and Tori Lovelady finished third and Natalie Biggs sixth for Beebe in the discus throw.

In the boys’ meet, sprinter Jordan McNair took second in the 100-meter dash, finishing in 11.34 behind Highland’s Deon Stewart. The same duo finished one and two in the 200m as well, with Stewart’s 22.97 edging out McNair by less than 3/10ths.

SPORTS STORY >> 4A champs battle back on Bears

By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter

The Sylvan Hills baseball team held a seven-run lead after the first inning of Friday’s nonconference game against two-time defending Class 4A state champion Arkadelphia, but the visiting Badgers finished the game with eight unanswered runs, including the go-ahead run in the seventh, to beat the Bears 8-7 in Sherwood.

Sylvan Hills (5-1, 2-0) looked as if it might run away with the game early, as the Bears scored all seven of their runs in the first inning to lead 7-0 after one.

Arkadelphia (2-2), though, showed its championship poise and was able to steadily chip away at the Bears’ lead.

After the first inning, the Bears’ batters went the rest of the game without a hit, and the Badgers scored three runs in the second inning, two in the third, two in the fourth and one in the seventh to leave Mike Bromley Field with the narrow victory.

“That was a lot of it,” said Sylvan Hills coach Denny Tipton of his team’s struggles at the plate Friday. “We had a couple of opportunities late and we could never get the hit back. I give them (Arkadelphia) credit. They just kind of grinded back.

“You could see why they’re the two-time defending state champs. They just kind of grinded their way back. I think our youthfulness came into play. Instead of continuing to play to win, we started worrying about how they might come back and beat us. But, hey, it’s good for us.

“It’s something that we can really learn from and, hopefully, it won’t happen again.”

Mackenzie Seats led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple, and he scored the game’s first run three batters later on a one-out single by clean-up hitter Jacob Franco.

Lukas Burrow walked with the bases loaded later on in the inning – giving him an easy RBI and the Bears a 4-0 lead. That brought Seats back to the plate, and with the bases loaded and two outs, Seats hit a bases-clearing single to right field, putting the hosts on top 7-0.

Unfortunately for the Bears, their bats went quiet for the remainder of the game. After a three-run second inning, the Badgers scored their two runs in the third on a two-run home run by three-hole hitter Clay Wilson, which made it a 7-5 ballgame.

The Bears’ pitching struggled with placement in the fourth inning, and as a result, the Badgers’ next two runs were scored on a wild pitch and a passed ball – tying the game at 7-7.

Errant throws once again plagued the Bears in the top of the seventh. With the score still at seven apiece, Arkadelphia’s Cutter Jester reached base after being hit by a pitch. He then stole second, and on the same play, stole third because of a wild throw from behind home plate. 

Just before Jester made it safely to third, the throw from right field to third base ended up in the Badgers’ dugout, which allowed Jester to safely cross home plate and set the final score in the process.

Dillon Parnham got the official win on the mound for the Badgers. He took to the hill at the start of the fourth inning, and pitched the remainder of the game – giving up no walks and no hits while striking out five Bears’ batters.

Seats led Sylvan Hills Friday with two hits, while Franco and Hunter Heslep each had one. Brandon Matros and Wilson led the Badgers with two hits apiece.

SPORTS STORY >> Wolff clear leader for Arkansas next season

By NATE ALLEN
Special to The Leader

FAYETTEVILLE – This spring break becomes Melissa Wolff’s last responsibility-free week until the 2015-2016 Razorbacks Women’s basketball team ends its season next spring.

For from Monday’s resumption of UA classes, Arkansas Women’s coach Jimmy Dykes expects his Cabot native guard/forward and lone senior-to-be to lead his 2015-2016 team in all things intangible, and plenty of tangibles, too.

“Melissa Wolff has to take ownership of the team right now for next year,” Dykes said in Monday’s season wrap-up press conference.

Wolff already was quite the partner to the graduating senior leaders Calli Berna and Jhasmin Bowen, on a nine-woman 18-14 team that advanced two rounds deep into the NCAA Tournament.

“I love the two seniors that I have,” Dykes said. “I learned a lot from Calli Berna and Jhasmin Bowen, things I will take with me going forth in my life. And Melissa Wolff has those same kind of qualities in her that we can take from here as a leader.

“She has kind of been the pulse and the heartbeat of our team all season long in terms of her fight. As a first year head coach to have Calli and Jhas and my second year to have a leader like Melissa Wolff, that’s really, really good.  Those are three good ones right there.”

Listed as 6-feet but truly more like 5-11, Dykes said, Wolff hobbled throughout much of the season until game days. Then she led the Razorbacks in rebounding, a 7.8 average, while averaging 8.4 points.

She posted six double-doubles, capped by 13 points and 15 rebounds in the 10th-seeded Razorbacks’ 57-55 first-round NCAA Tournament upset of seventh-seeded Northwestern last Friday in Waco, Texas.

“Melissa Wolff didn’t practice the last five weeks of the season with a bad hip,” Dykes said. “But she always showed up in a game and got 13 points and 15 boards against Northwestern on Friday.”

“There’s no reason why for Melissa Wolff to have that kind of a game on that big of a stage other than her heart is bigger than anyone I’ve ever been around. There is no reason in the world that 5-11 Melissa Wolff from Cabot, Arkansas, should have 15 and 13 against Northwestern in this NCAA Tournament game but the size of her heart,” Dykes said.

Arkansas was outsized in most games, but Wolff and Bowen consistently played bigger than themselves inside, Dykes said.

Arkansas’ biggest player, 6-3 Jessica Jackson of Jacksonville, was the best shooter outside, a team-leading 56 of 163 3-pointers for a .344 percentage.

Jackson was the team’s leading scorer, 14.9, and shot-blocker, 33, with Wolff next at 30, and a strong 6.3 rebounder as the Razorbacks gathered 1,283 rebounds to their opponents’ 1,150.

Jackson was second-team All-SEC under Tom Collen two seasons ago as a freshman but played even better this past season in Dykes’ view.

“I expect her to make just as much progress in her second year under me as she did in her first year,” Dykes said. “I know her scoring numbers were down a little bit and maybe her rebounding was down a little bit but she is a better all-round player. She runs better. Her energy has been better.

“Defensively she is better. Boxing off she is better. She scores the ball from different spots on the floor now better. She made a lot of progress and she made a lot of progress off the floor,” Dykes said.

Jackson and returning junior-to-be starting guard Kelsey Brooks, Dykes said, also will be counted upon heavily to help next season’s young team that signed five freshmen in November and seeks to sign more in April.

“Melissa Wolff is ready to step up and be one of the leaders on the team,” Dykes said.

“But I am also very big on not having just one leader. Everybody has to be a leader. All those things that Melissa is going to give to this team starting when we get back from spring break, everybody has to fall in line with that.”

SPORTS STORY >> Panthers secure a sweep in twin bill

By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor

The Cabot Panthers picked up their first and second wins of the season on Friday, and moved to 2-0 in conference play with a doubleheader sweep of the Searcy Lions in Searcy.

Southpaw pitcher Gavin Tillery threw a complete-game four hitter in leading the Panthers to a 3-0 win in game one. In game two, Cabot had a big second inning at the plate and got six innings of three-hit ball from pitcher Chase Kyzer to earn a 6-2 victory.

The first two innings of game one went by in a flash. Cabot’s first six batters went down in order and Tillery gave up just one base hit in the bottom of the second.

The Panthers finally got some offense going in the top of the third. Playing as the visiting team in game one, Dylan Bowers led off the inning with a bloop single to right field, which was followed by a line-drive single by Eric Larsen. Blake McCutchen was asked to sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position, but he laid a perfect one and reached base safely, leaving the bases loaded.

Leadoff hitter Evan Hooper hit a fly ball to center field for the first out, but it was deep enough to score Bowers after tagging up. Denver Mullins then walked to load the bases again with one out, but a strikeout and a groundout followed to end the rally.

Searcy got a leadoff single to start the bottom of the third, but Tillery got a pop-up to center field and struck out two batters to hold the Lions at bay.

The Panthers got a pair of one-out base hits in the fourth, but were unable again to capitalize.

The Panthers got two runners on with one out in the top of the fifth when Hooper singled and Mullins walked. One out later, Tristan Bulice singled to right field, where an error was made on the hop. Hooper scored on the error, but courtesy runner Jake Slunder was thrown out at home on the play.

Searcy got a one-out base hit in the top of the fifth, but still went down in order. Tillery got a groundout and a strikeout in the inning, and catcher Landon James threw out the runner attempting to steal third base to end the inning.

Logan Kirkendoll got a leading single to start the top of the sixth for Cabot and stole second base. He advanced to third on a groundout by Jonathan Latture. After a fly out to right field by Bowers, Kirkendoll stole home during Larsen’s at bat to set the final margin.

Tillery was outstanding on the mound, striking out nine and walking no one.

Bowers went 2 for 3 to lead Cabot offensively while Hooper, Mullins, Bulice, Kirkendoll, Latture and McCutchen each got one base hit. Bulice went 2 for 3 with an RBI in game two and Bowers got a two-RBI base hit to aid the Panthers’ cause.

Searcy scored first in the top of the first inning, but Cabot answered with four runs in the second. Bulice started the rally with a leadoff, line-drive double to right field. Kirkendoll then reached on a throwing error that also scored Bulice. Latture then hit a double deep into the gap in left-center field.

Bowers then made it three doubles in the inning with his two-RBI shot to straightaway center to make it 3-1. With one out, McCutchen put down a sacrifice bunt but another error left him safe at second base and allowed Bowers to score from second.

The rally finally ended with back-to-back grounders to shortstop by Mullins and Hooper.

Cabot made it 5-1 in the third on a double by James and another Searcy error. In the fifth inning, Mullins singled to lead things off and scored on a single by Bulice with one out.

Searcy got a little offense going in its last at-bat with a leadoff double and an RBI single with one out, but Larsen fanned the last two batters to seal the victory.

Kyzer struck out eight and walked two in his six innings of work, while giving up just one earned run.

SPORTS STORY >> Lady Panthers display power

By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor

The Lady Panther softball team suffered its first loss of the season at the North Little Rock Tournament of Champions, but not before winning two games in the two-day event. Cabot opened the tournament on Friday by beating White Hall 5-1, then hammered perennial 2A powerhouse Foreman 14-0 early Saturday. Later that day, the Lady Panthers were shutout in a 4-0 loss to Bald Knob.

Megan Goodnight shined against the Lady Bulldogs on Friday. She went the distance on the mound, giving up just two hits and zero earned runs while striking out five and walking two. At the plate, the southpaw hurler went 1 for 3, including a three-run home run in the bottom of the third that broke a 1-1 tie.

Hannah Montgomery also got to touch them all in the third. Her home run led off the inning and tied the game. Rachel Allgood followed that by drawing a walk. Macee Abbott sacrificed her to second before Lauren McCluskey singled to center to put runners on the corners, setting up Montgomery’s big shot to right field.

Cabot added a run in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Bethany Knowles and Heather Hill.

The Lady Panthers piled up 13 base hits against Foreman, including two more home runs. They scored three runs in the top of the first inning, and then broke the game open with an eight-run second.

Kaitlyn Felder hit a three-run shot in the second inning and Hill drilled a solo shot in the fifth to set the final margin. McCluskey went 3 for 3 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored. Erin Eckert went 2 for 4 with two runs batted in.

Knowles went 2 for 2 with two RBIs and two runs.

Goodnight started on the mound and threw just 10 pitches in one inning of work. McCluskey finished out the mercy rule shortened game, giving up one hit in four innings of work.

Despite the one-hit shutout, no Foreman players struck out. However, only two balls left the infield. Of the 15 outs recorded, there were 13 groundouts, one fly ball to right field and one pop-up to second base.

All the offensive fireworks ceased against Bald Knob. Cabot managed just two base hits while giving up all four runs in the second inning.

The Lady Bulldogs got three singles, one walk, one hit batter and a home run for all the runs they would need in that inning.

After getting knocked around in that second frame, Goodnight gave up just one other hit the rest of the way, and retired the last nine Bald Knob batters in order.

Cabot is set to host the third-annual Beebe/Cabot multi-site tournament on Saturday.