Forrest City let one slip away Tuesday afternoon.
Colby McKennon took a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning against West Memphis and appeared to be on the verge of pitching the Mustangs to their third straight win at the Sports Complex.
However, a defensive error, coupled with two timely West Memphis base hits gave the Blue Devils a 2-1 win in AAAAA-East Conference play.
The game, originally scheduled to be played at West Memphis, was moved to Forrest City due to water soaked fields.
It was the first win of the season for the Blue Devils, 1-8 overall and 1-1 in the conference. Forrest City falls to 4-6 and 1-2 with a Jacksonville conference doubleheader looming on the horizon Friday.
Jacksonville, which lost to Cabot Tuesday afternoon, is 6-8 overall for the year and 1-2 in the conference.
Sylvan Hills leads the East standings at 2-0. The Bears dumped Little Rock Mills 6-2 Tuesday evening. Cabot at 6-6 overall and 2-1 in the league, rests in second place.
"It was the little things we didn't do that let West Memphis take the win," said Forrest City coach Reggie Murphy said. "We had a routine play on a sacrifice bunt and threw the ball away."
West Memphis pitcher Taylor Fowler held the Mustangs to one run on just two hits. he hit one batter and struck out 13.
The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Mark Lewis doubled and Brandon Cochran singled. Lewis came around on Will Harris' RBI ground out.
That was it for the Mustang offense, which had scored 29 runs in the previous two games.
McKennon took charge on the mound and held the lead, setting down 16 of the first 20 West Memphis hitters he faced until the bottom of the seventh inning.
from the bottom of the first until the bottom of the sixth, McKennon retired 14 consecutive Blue Devils.
Jake Hatchett led off the bottom of the seventh for West Memphis with a single and Adam Cole followed with the sacrifice bunt, which was misplayed by the Mustang defense, leaving both base runners safe.
Both Hatchett and Cole would score with Mark Goss providing the second hit of the inning for West Memphis, a single over a drawn in outfield.
McKennon gave up the two runs on four hits and did not walk anyone. He recorded two strike outs.
After Lewis and Cochran reached base in the top of the first, Forrest City had only one other base runner when Brad Taylor used a West Memphis error to get on in the top of the second.
"Colby pitched a great game," Murphy said. "We just didn't give him any run support. We started out in the first like we were going to have another big inning but this time we couldn't keep it going. We've got a lot of innings left to play."
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
LITTLE ROCK--The Little Rock McClellan Lady Lions held off a late rally Tuesday to put away the Forrest City Lady Mustangs 10-7 in nonconference slow-pitch softball at Little Rock.
The Lady Lions led 4-1 after one inning but fell behind 6-4 after the Lady Mustangs scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning.
Abby Townsend singled and scored in the first to give Forrest City a 1-0 lead.
McClellan pushed four runs across the plate in the bottom half of the inning, using two hits, a walk and an error.
Neither team scored in the second or third innings.
Forrest City got a leadoff single from Kimberly Hoots in the top of the fourth. Hoots, who is leading the team in hitting, moved to second when Tyeshia McDaniel's hit was misplayed for an error. One out later, Leslie Jayroe got on base, as did Kanetra Pendleton and Natalie Nelson. All five runners scored to put the Lady Mustangs in front.
The Lady Lions answered with three runs in the home half of the inning to regain a 7-6 advantage.
A McClellan double play in the top of the fifth left Forrest City empty-handed. The Lady Lions made it 8-6 with a single run in the bottom of the fifth.
The Lady Mustangs went down in order in the sixth while McClellan plated two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead 10-6.
Nelson used a McClellan error to get on base in the seventh and Angela Williams used a fielder's choice to get aboard. Williams would come around to score before Katie Murry made the final out to end the game.
The Lady Mustangs fall one game below .500 at 3-4 for the year.
In junior varsity action Tuesday, the Lady Mustangs took an 8-5 win over McClellan.
Jennifer Ballard and Katrina Wynne scored two runs each for the lady Mustangs while Kennisha Aldridge, Samantha Green, Rachel Sims, and Caronica Randle scored single runs.
McClellan led 2-0 early. Forrest City put together a six-run, fifth inning, highlighted by Wynne's home run, which left the Lady Mustangs in front 8-4.
Forrest City coach Sue Jayroe has reschedule last weekend's Lady Mustang Invitational Tournament for Saturday, April 7.
The eight-team tournament was rained out last Saturday.
Jayroe said the rescheduled event at the Sports Complex, will be a four-team bracket with Brookland, Bay, McClellan and Forrest City, beginning with each team involved in pool play.
The teams would then advance to semifinal action and then to the championship game.
"We hope we can get it in," Jayroe said. "We have three teams lined up and are hoping to get the fourth today. We need to play as much as we can if and when we can."
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
JONESBORO--Forrest City dropped three of their five singles matches and two of their three doubles matches Tuesday in season-opening conference games played at Jonesboro.
James Johnson, playing tennis for the first time, won his match 8-1. Clayton Clay, who qualified last year for the state tournament, won his match 8-4.
Forrest City's Cecil Cole lost on match point 9-7 while Chris Lamb lost 8-5 and Brittney White fell 8-0.
In doubles play, White and Cole picked up an 8-2 win while Clay and Chris Tinsley lost 8-4 and Johnson and Lamb dropped their match 8-0.
The Mustangs, under second year coach Dwight Lofton, will travel to West Helena today and will play at West Memphis Thursday.
Palestine-Wheatley seniors Michael Barnes and Leroy Bell were named to the 6AA All-Conference basketball team for their achievements this past season with the Patriots.
Bell has also been selected to appear in the annual high school All-Star game.
Palestine-Wheatley finished third in the conference and lost in the first round of the regional Tournament.
B. J. Beavers of Forrest City, a 6-4 forward/center for the Lee Academy Cougar basketball team, was recently named to the MPSA District 1-A All-District team for the just completed high school basketball season. Beavers, a senior, has played for the Cougars for two years. During the season, he averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds per game. He is the son of Brad and Rush Beavers of Forrest City. Bobby Andrews of Marianna, a 5-11 guard, drew Honorable Mention All-District honors. The Cougars are coached by Rudy Wilson of Moro and Wade Heigel.