By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
CABOT -- Earlier this week, Pine Bluff's Billy Bock said Russellville would be this year's Class AAAAA state baseball champion.
Saturday, at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Bock will find out if he is right or if his Zebras can call his bluff.
Russellville advanced to Saturday's championship game Thursday with a 1-0 win over the Sylvan Hills Bears.
Abel Newton allowed five hits and struck out 13 in a complete-game victory.
The Cyclones (28-3) move on to face Pine Bluff, who advanced with a 12-6 win over Bentonville, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in Fayetteville.
The Bears were eliminated one night after rallying for six runs in the final two innings to beat Springdale.
Clay Bradford led off the game for the Cyclones (27-3) with a single, advanced to second on a bunt by Eric Smith and scored on Landon Leach's hit up the middle for the only run of the game.
Bears sophomore starter T.J. Wheeler matched Newton the rest of the game, giving up only four hits. Sylvan Hills ends the year at 22-8.
A perfect fourth inning relay from Sylvan Hills centerfielder Noah Treat to shortstop Nick Miller to catcher Danny Hurt nailed Russellville's Michael Wheelus at the plate.
Sylvan Hills stranded runners in scoring position five times.
Pine Bluff has used a simple philosophy in their three state tournament games -- see the ball then hit it.
On Tuesday, the Zebras routed Jacksonville 12-2. On Wednesday, they took out Bentonville 12-6.
That set them up in Saturday's title game against Russellville.
But the real story from Wednesday's game against Bentonville was Bock's decision to start sophomore pitcher Eric Forestiere -- who hasn't pitched in a game this season because of lingering arm injuries.
Bock probably had little choice. Playing their third game in three days, Pine Bluff's pitching was getting thinner by the inning.
Forestiere came through with flying colors, working 5 1/3 innings and giving up only six hits.
Forestiere was given some great offensive help by his teammates.
Pine Bluff used a four run, first inning and plated four runs each in the fourth and fifth innings.
Obeying the pleadings of the crowd, Pine Bluff sat the Jacksonville batters down in order over the next two innings, before giving up a run in the top of the fourth after two errors. The RBI-double by Blake Lewis was the first actual hit for Jacksonville, but did little to stop the Zebras' charge.
In answer to the Red Devils, Pine Bluff continued its offensive assault and tacked on another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Witt. The Zebras had two hits and two walks, which led to the retiring of the second Jacksonville pitcher in the game.
While the Red Devils' pitchers struggled, Blunt dominated from the mound. Blunt, although striking out only three through the first four, accomplished his mission by forcing the Jacksonville batters into ground outs and pop ups. The Zebras' infield defense made the easy outs and overcame four errors to keep the Red Devils out of scoring position.
Despite the solid defensive performance, Jacksonville managed to load the bases in the fifth inning. After giving up an RBI-single to Eric Houchins, Blunt found the strike zone again for his fourth strike out of the game which ended the Red Devils scoring threat.
Pine Bluff again answered the Jacksonville score with scores of its own.
After Blunt reached on a walk, Jeffery Boyce knocked an RBI-single to deep center field to give the Zebras an 8-2 lead. Corey McCoy, who went 3-for-3 at the plate, followed Boyce with a single, which brought the fourth Jacksonville pitcher into the game.
The pitching change only momentarily paused Pine Bluff's hitting spree.
Witt notched his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to score Boyce which pushed the score to 9-2. A Jacksonville error allowed Howard to reach first, which set up Forestiere's game-ending three-run shot over the left center wall.
Although Pine Bluff coach Billy Bock praised his team's performance, he emphasized the importance of the Zebras next game.
"The guys did a beautiful job today," Bock said. "We made the big hits with people on base, and that's what you have to do to win.
"We're not satisfied, though. This team has worked so hard that they deserve a chance to get a ring. We've got two more games to go to get it."
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Moro's Mandy Myers will begin her quest today to reach her second NCAA Tournament this season.
Myers, who played her high school athletics at Palestine-Wheatley, is a member of the Long Island University (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Lady Blackbirds basketball and fast-pitch softball teams.
The basketball team reached the NCAA Women's Tournament back in March.
Last weekend, the Blackbirds softball team won their sixth straight Northeast Conference championship but with the NCAA new "play-in" game in effect, will have to win two of three games against Lehigh to make the tournament cut.
The Blackbirds will take on Lehigh today in a doubleheader at LIU.
The third game, if needed, will be played Friday.
LIU defeated UMBC 2-0 and then Monmouth twice to win the conference tournament.
Myers, who joined the softball team late, was officially 0-2 as a pinch-hitter during the weekend tournament, but has sparkled defensively in the outfield, putting together a 1.000 percent fielding average.
Myers has played in 22 of LIU's 49 games and started 14 of those, with 12 starts coming in right field.
Myers has 10 hits in 45 at-bats and has scored eight runs. She has walked six times and has 11 RBIs and one home run, a grand slam. She has struck out 18 times.
Early in the season, Myers had a three-game hitting streak.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Rose Kalisak, former fast-pitch softball assistant coach at Ole Miss., will be a busy lady this weekend.
Kalisak will be in Forrest City for a pair of clinics -- the first on Friday night and then against Saturday.
Kalisak will hold a coaching clinic for all Forrest City youth softball coaches -- 10-under, 12-under and 16-under -- Friday night from 7 until 10 p.m., at the new Forrest City High School Athletic Complex.
All girls' softball games scheduled for Friday have been cancelled.
On Saturday, she will conduct a youth softball fast-pitch clinic at the Forrest City Sports Complex.
The clinic is open to all participants, ages eight and up, and will run From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Forrest City 12-under and 16-under girls' softball teams have made the switch to fast-pitch this season. The primary focus of the clinic will be hitting, bunting, base running and pitching.
Registration will be held the morning of the clinic beginning at 8:30 a.m. and the cost per person is $10.
For more information about the clinic, call Bill Baxter at (870) 633-0780 or Karen McQuirt at (870) 633-8537.
Kalisak has more than 20 years experience in fast-pitch softball.
All youth boy's league games, scheduled for Friday, including T-Ball, will be played.
The 2001 Mightymite Triathlon will be held Saturday, July 21.
The 18th annual event will follow the same course as in past years and will begin promptly at 8 a.m. at Lake Dunn at Village Creek State Park.
Entrants must be 14-years of age to enter the race. For more info call (870) 633-1651.
The race is being sponsored by the Forrest City A&P Commission.
by FRED CONLEY
Can't say that I like the fast-pitch softball rule being employed in the 12-under and 16-under girls' fast-pitch softball league this season, that deals with ending a game in a tie once the time limit expires.
The rule states "tie games will not be played out once the time limit has expired. The game will end after the bottom of the current inning being played, regardless of the score."
I'm reminded of the classic Tom Hanks' line in the movie "A League of Their Own" based on the first professional women's baseball league.
After one of his outfielder's came off the field, after failing to hit the cut-off infielder with a throw, Hanks laid into her with both barrels smokin'.
Naturally, the outfielder began to cry uncontrollably which prompted Hanks (in the role of the team's reluctant coach) to utter "there's no crying in baseball."
With a little altering that line could be changed to "there's no tying in softball."
Ah, but there is. Kenneth Taylor, director of the city's recreation youth leagues, says not only can the "tie" rule be found in the typed park rules, it can also be found in the ASA sanctioned softball rule book.
Maybe, but I still don't have to like it.
Kenneth is just doing what he can to keep the game moving along at a steady pace while attempting to keep peace and harmony at the ball fields. And sometimes that's not an easy task.
There has been one 16-under game end in a tie so far. Hopefully, there won't be any more as the season progresses.
Although I wonder how long it will take the coaches to figure out they can stall long enough in the last inning to force a game-ending tie rather than absorb a loss?
Ties have no place in baseball or softball, at least in my opinion. But then again, that's just my opinion and I'm entitled to it because this is my column.
It is no reflection on the youth baseball program (which is one of the best I've seen) or what Kenneth is trying to do to better the program.
It is definitely a learning season for the new fast-pitch teams this year and it's a change that had to be made.
Both Forrest City and Palestine-Wheatley High Schools will be making the switch to fast-pitch softball during the 2001-2002 school term.
Like I said, I don't like the rule, but I suppose I'll just grit my teeth and tolerate it.
While we're on the subject of baseball, the Forrest City American Legion baseball program is undergoing some changes this summer.
First and foremost, the team is dropping its major sponsor and will be just "Forrest City."
The two teams (A and AAA squads) will play within a new conference which will include Jonesboro, Searcy, Blytheville, Paragould, Mountain Home, Batesville and Newport and Wynne.
It is set up like the high school schedule with each team playing each other "home and away."
The conference winner gets to host the district tournament.
This season also brings a new coach. Jason Long will take over both programs. Long will be assisted by Brandon Maricle of Baytown, Texas.
Both played baseball at Arkansas State University.
The Arkansas Concrete 10-year-old traveling team will be playing a tournament in Southaven, Miss. beginning Friday.
Arkansas Concrete will play the North Alabama Vipers in pool play Friday night and will take on the Mid South Dodgers Saturday.
The team is being coached once again this year by Greg Bonds.
It is the second time this year the Concrete team has played at the multimillion dollar Southaven complex, which boasts 17 fields.