PARAGOULD -- The top-seeded Jonesboro Ricemen got a late start, but still finished off eighth-seeded Forrest City early in the Zone 2 A American Legion baseball tournament Friday afternoon at Bland Park.
Despite sputtering early offensively, Jonesboro scored nine runs in the last two innings to blank Forrest City 10-0 in six innings because of a 10-run rule
The loss dropped Forrest City into the loser's bracket where they were eliminated by Batesville 6-1, Friday night.
Forrest City had defeated Batesville 3-1 in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday behind Marcus Hancock's one-hit pitching performance.
The Batesville loss ended the season for Forrest City A, which finishes with eight victories this year.
The Forrest City AAA team has one regular season game remaining before beginning district tournament play.
Jonesboro led only 1-0 and had managed only three hits off Forrest City starter Dustin Gore through four innings.
However, the Ricemen took advantage of three bases-loaded walks and Clif Baxter's run-scoring bloop hit to score four times in the fifth and boost their lead to 5-0.
Jonesboro hammered Forrest City reliever Casidy Hankins for five more runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game.
The Ricemen finished the game with five consecutive hits, including Drew Copeland's RBI-single to score Baxter from second with the 10th run to end the game, which was scheduled for seven innings.
Baxter was 3-for-4 with three runs batted in, while ninth-place hitter Jimmy Tollison also went 3-for-3 and scored a pair of runs to pace a 12-hit Jonesboro attack.
Cory Chastain also went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs scored and four stolen bases on the day.
Jonesboro got all the runs Jimmy Farley needed in the bottom of the first inning.
The righthander allowed only two hits, struck out four, walked one and hit a batter in picking up the complete-game victory.
Jonesboro finally got going offensively in the fifth as Jason Dillon led off with a double into the left-center field gap and Tollison beat out a bunt. Jeff McKnight then walked on four pitches from Gore to load the bases.
Chastain then worked a bases-loaded walk to finish Gore, but reliever Chris Autry walked Andy Bettis and Cody Fry to push Jonesboro's lead to 4-0. Baxter then greeted Marcus Hancock, the third Forrest City pitcher of the inning, with a flare over the second baseman to make the score 5-0.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
SHERWOOD--Forrest City Dr. St. John got a tough draw in the Girls' Class C 16-Under Fast Pitch State Softball Tournament over the weekend, but still made a good showing.
Jacksonville's Xs Energy won the tournament after working their way through the loser's bracket and defeating Pine Bluff's Dixie Darlings twice.
Jacksonville won the first championship game to force the "if" game and then took a 3-2 extra inning victory.
El Dorado's Sweet and Sassy finished third while Woodlawn placed fourth.
The tournament, played at Sherwood's Softball Complex, was thrown off track from the beginning after the area was doused with two inches of rain Thursday night, making the Sherwood fields unplayable until Saturday.
That meant moving Friday's games to Cabot as well as changing the start times for all of the first-round games.
Originally scheduled to play at 7 p.m., Dr. St. John took the field at 11 p.m. against the Gators.
It was well past midnight when St. John put the finishing touches on a 7-6 win.
That was the good news.
The bad news was the team had to play again at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, less than eight hours after ending their first game -- against the Pine Bluff Eliminators, a team which had a "bye' and were playing their first game.
Pine Bluff capitalized on the situation by taking a 10-0 win in just four innings, scoring four times in the second, three in the third and three in the fourth.
St. John stayed alive in the loser's bracket by defeating Petit Jean 23-1 but fell to Wood lawn 19-3 later Saturday afternoon.
"We made a good showing," said St. John Coach Laura Hoots. "The girls were exhausted on Saturday after the way we had to open but they worked hard."
St. John finished their state tournament stay at 2-2 in the team's first full season of fast-pitch softball.
The team won the Forrest City 16-Under league championship.
In the 14-under slow pitch state tournament, Little Rock's Spradlin Blasters took the title by defeating Wynne's Mohr Sports in the final. Little Rock Storm finished third and Brenner Farms took fourth.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
SHERWOOD--The Forrest City APAC/Travelers were eliminated from the Arkansas South Cal Ripken State Pitching Machine Tournament Sunday, losing a nail-biter to Pine Bluff 11-10.
The Travelers finished their stay at the tournament, played at Kevin McReynolds Sports Complex in Sherwood, with a 2-2 record.
In four games at the tournament, two were decided by a single point and another by just two points.
Saturday, the Travelers opened with a 3-2 win over North Garland County.
Trailing 1-0, Forrest City scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning by Cory Deere and Akeem Bogart to take a 2-1 lead.
North Garland County tied the game at 2-2 with a single run in the top of the fifth. Forrest City won it in the bottom of the sixth when Bogart scored the winning run on a hit by Ben Dickey.
The win brought the team back on Sunday where they lost to Jacksonville 18-16.
RoRo Steverson scored three times for Forrest City while Josh Brock, Bogart, Will Trail, Ladarius Hartway and Leslie Parker added two runs each.
Both teams were locked in a 4-4 tie after the first inning and Jacksonville led 8-7 after two.
The Travelers bounced back to defeat Beebe in their second game on Sunday 13-7.
They opened by scoring six times in the bottom of the first inning and added two runs in the second, a single run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth.
Brock, Steverson and Hartway each scored twice while Charlie Anderson, Will Trail, Zach Trail and Deere scored single runs.
That set up the final game Sunday night against Pine Bluff.
The Travelers led 2-0 after one inning and 6-3 after two innings before Pine Bluff scored six times in the top of the third to lead 9-6.
Each team scored twice in the fifth which left Pine Bluff holding an 11-10 lead. Neither team was able to plate a run in the sixth.
Anderson led the Forrest City scoring with three runs.
The Travelers will compete in the upcoming Marion Invitational Tournament, which will be played the last week of July at Marion.
The Forrest City All-Stars failed to pick up a win at the tournament, losing to Little Rock Junior Deputy 15-0 in their opening game Saturday afternoon and then falling to Hermatige 9-3 later in the day.
SPORTS NOTES
The first Arkansas Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) sports camp started today at Mustang Arena for boys and girls in the fourth through eighth grades.
And even though the camp has already started, it doesn't mean you have missed an opportunity to attend.
The camp runs through Thursday, July 19, and those youths who are interested and want to attend may do so, beginning Tuesday.
Cost of the camp is $10 per student but scholarships are available.
Forrest City is one of 10 sites selected for the 10-week session of camps throughout the state.
Registration will be held at Mustang Arena and the camp will run from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. each day.
The Searcy In-line Hockey League of Searcy, is looking for people to play roller hockey.
The league is looking for amateur and advanced players.
S.I.H.L. wants to give kids an activity that will keep them off drugs and keep them out of trouble.
The league will play on Saturdays (weather permitting) at 9 a.m., at the Searcy Sports Event Center.
The complex is located in Searcy on Higginson Street, and is located east of Hwy. 67/167 at exit 45.
Some of the league's players will play at Sherwood Skate Connection (501-835-1555) on Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m. There is a $5 fee to play.
For more information, contact Parks & Recreation Director Brian Smith at 501-279-1010.
Forrest City golfer Adam Rauth recently set the tournament record at Baton Rouge, La., in the Collegiate Players Tour and won the event.
Rauth shot a 14-under 202 during the two-day tournament.
On July 5, Rauth set the course record at Ridgepoint in Jonesboro.
Back by popular demand for a second run is the Youth Soccer Camp at East Arkansas Community College.
The second session will run from July 30 through Aug. 3, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. each day.
The camp fee is $60 per student and the camp is open to youths ages 5-9.
To register, call Beth Bridgforth at EACC or Kathy Cockmon (870) 633-4480 ext. 261 or 333.
August 1 is the deadline to submit nominations for the second annual Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame.
The induction banquet and ceremonies will be held Sept. 21. Their photos will be displayed in Mustang Arena on the Wall of Honor.
Nominations may be submitted for Forrest City area athletes from three different classifications -- Lincoln High School, Forrest City High School through 1970 and Forrest City High School from 1970 until present.
The goal is to induct four athletes from each of the three classifications, which would bring the total to 24.
Last year's inaugural class of 12 included DeJustice Coleman, Manuel Twillie, Cecil Twillie, Robert Harris, Marvin Laws, James Devazier, Donnie Kessinger, B. Lindsey, Rusty Trail, Mallory Nimocks, Robert Lee Steward and Arthur Banks.
Nominations may be sent to Bill Baxter, P.O. Box 1034, Forrest City or sent to the St. Francis County Museum, located at 603 Front Street.
Those submitting nominations are asked to include information as to why the nominee is deserving of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The annual WynneBall Tournament is set to begin Tuesday at Wynne's Sports Complex.
Forrest City will have teams in the 10-under and the 12-under divisions.
The Forrest City 10-year-old All-Stars will play Marked Tree Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., on Field 2.
Forrest City's 12-year-old All-Stars will play Marked Tree on Field 1 at 5:30 p.m.
Each division utilizes Olympic-style pool play.
The tournament runs through Sunday, July 22.
AUGUSTA--The annual Stanley Classic Youth Baseball Tournament will be played July 23-30th, at Augusta's Stanley Park.
The tournament features two divisions,12-under and 13-15.
For more info contact Bryon Hurford at (870) 347-3009 or 347-2515 or Guy Brown at (870) 731-1216.
The Little Rock Junior Deputy 12-year-old All-Stars topped El Dorado 6-0 in Friday's opening round of the Cal Ripken State Tournament.
Drew Smyly earned the victory for Junior Deputy, striking out 10 batters and giving up three hits.