By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Mustangs opened their 2001 baseball season Thursday by hosting Searcy at the Sports Complex.
Searcy, a veteran team that features 10 seniors, used a six-run, fourth inning to walk away with an 8-1 win over the Mustangs.
"Obviously, you take away the fourth inning and we played a solid ball game," said first-year Forrest City Coach Reggie Murphy. "It wasn't so much the Searcy hits that hurt us as it was our mistakes on defense. We just self-destructed in the field and we didn't make the routine plays that you have to make to win ball games."
Marcus Hancock started for the Mustangs and pitched four complete innings before giving way to Dustin Gore, who finished out the game.
Forrest City trailed the Lions 2-1 going into the fourth inning.
Searcy started Brandon Daugherty, who no-hit Forrest City in last year's opening game.
The Mustangs scored the lone run on just one hit.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Justin McKissick walked, was bunted to second and scored when Will Harris' grounder was booted by Searcy for an error.
Danny Flowers got the only Forrest City hit.
"We stood at the plate and watched too many strikes go by," Murphy said. "We've got to swing the bat better."
The Mustangs will host West Helena today at the Sports Complex in a varsity-junior varsity doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
"On Wednesday, I really didn't know how the team would respond once we got on the field," Murphy said. "Now, I know which direction we need to go."
Murphy says the Mustangs will pick up a couple of players from the Forrest City basketball team once their season is over.
"That will help us, because it will give us some more veteran help," Murphy added.
The Mustangs are scheduled to play Wynne next Tuesday before starting play in the North Little Rock tournament March 1-3.
The East Central Arkansas/Forrest City Razorback Club will hold their annual Razorback Rally on Wednesday, March 7, at the Forrest City Civic Center.
Razorback Football Coach Houston Nutt will be the featured speaker for the event.
The rally follows the same format as in year's past. A social hour will begin at 6 p.m., and dinner, catered by Corky's Barbecue wil be served at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the Rally may be purchased at several Forrest City locations, including edwin houston, Taylor-Casbeer, Napa and the offices of Buddy Billingsley.
Tickets are $15 per person.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
BEEBE--The 6AAA district is in good shape heading into tonight's semifinal round at the Class AAA Region 3 Tournament in Beebe.
The boys' semifinal games features three teams from the 6AAA Conference -- Hughes, Dumas and Lonoke -- while the girls' semifinal games also features three 6AAA representatives -- Dumas, England and Lonoke.
All six have qualified for the Class AAA State Tournament, which begins Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Riverview High School in Searcy.
The seventh-ranked Hughes Blue Devils, the No. 1 seed into the regional tournament, will battle the Dumas Bobcats today at 5:30 p.m., at the Badger Sports Arena in the first of the two boys' semifinals.
The Blue Devils have defeated the Bobcats twice this season in conference play, winning 64-53 and 70-61.
Dumas defeated Pulaski Oak Grove Thursday 63-50 to advance while Hughes defeated Lamar 55-28 on Wednesday.
Lonoke, the defending Class AAA champion, will face Pulaski Academy, the top-seeded team from the 5AAA district in tonight's second semifinal, set to tip at 8:30 p.m.
Lonoke defeated CAC 58-38 Thursday while Pulaski Academy ousted Pine Bluff Dollarway 66-51 on Wednesday.
In the girls' bracket, Dumas and CAC will hook up at 4 p.m. while England and Lonoke will play the second semifinal game, set to tip at 7 p.m.CAC defeated Dollarway 56-40 while Lonoke eliminated Dover 34-29.
The semifinal loser's will return on Saturday for consolation games while the winners will advance to the championship round.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
SEARCY--The Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots will go against the Carlisle Lady Bison today in a rematch of last year's Class AA Region 6 semifinal game. It will be the fourth matchup between the two teams since the 1996-97 season.
The two teams will tip at 4 p.m., at Harding Academy in Searcy.
The No. 2 ranked Lady Patriots advanced to today's semifinal game by defeating Augusta 79-22 on Wednesday. Carlisle eliminated Altheimer 53-33 Thursday to advance.
The Lady Patriots defeated Carlisle 66-42 in last year's regional semifinal and went on to put down Des Arc 75-44 to win the tournament title. The two teams met in regular season during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. The Lady Patriots won both games 43-38 and 54-45.
In today's second girls' semifinal game, Harding Academy will take on Des Arc for the right to advance to Saturday's championship game.
Harding defeated Marvell 76-38 Wednesday and Des Arc downed Barton 62-32 Thursday.
Only the regional champion and the runner-up will advance to next week's Class AA State Tournament at Danville.
The girls' championship game will tip at 7 p.m., Saturday.
In boys' action from Thursday, Altheimer defeated Harding Academy to advance to semifinal action. They will play Augusta today at 5:30 p.m.
The boys' championship game will be played Saturday at 8:30 p.m.