Casons come home; get win

BLYTHEVILLE -- After playing 15 games on the road to start the year, the Blytheville Hardy Sales and Service Casons played their first home game Wednesday night. They did not disappoint a spirited crowd as they won in convincing fashion, 11-3, against Jonesboro Fat City at the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex.

Manager Jacob Ritchey used four pitchers in the nine inning contest, Jamal Washington, Tino Collins, Carlos Blackman and Justin Mann, in combination for the victory.

The Casons jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a Ricky Gable triple and a single from Mann. Blytheville added another run in the second before Fat City got on the board with a run in the top of the third, cutting the lead to 4-1. A three run third highlighted by a two run single off the bat Andrew Scott helped give the Casons a commanding 7-1 lead after three.

Back-to-back hits to lead off the sixth inning for Fat City helped cut into the Cason lead. They plated two runs in the inning to cut the Blytheville lead to 7-3. The Casons put four insurance runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth, thanks to hits from Blackman and Riley Hickerson, to squash any idea of a Fat City comeback.

For the game, Gable, Blackman, Mann (two hits), Hickerson and Scott (single and a double) led the way for the Casons at the plate.

Casons pitcher, Tino Collins, fires a pitch home Wednesday night against Fat City at the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex.

Blytheville improved to 11-5 on the season with a 3-1 record in zone play. They head to Paragould this weekend for a tournament before returning home Monday, June 30, for a zone contest against Jonesboro Ricemen. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Sportsplex.

afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com @CN_AaronF