By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
CABOT--Forrest City junior Sarah Eldridge didn't quite shoot as well as she wanted to at Tuesday's Class AAAAA State Golf Tournament, but she did finish in the top 10 in the state.
As a team, the Forrest City Lady Mustangs finished fifth overall. It is the best finish ever for the girls' golf team. Last year, the Lady Mustangs finished ninth.
El Dorado junior Amanda McCurdy fired an even-par 72 to win the individual state title, edging Jacksonville's Natasha Vincent by two shots.
Eldridge finished ninth with a 91 while senior Krista Coleman finished with a 99. Both Forrest City girls were making their second straight appearance in the state tournament. A year ago, Eldridge shot a 98 to end a tie for 12th overall.
"I'm very pleased that both girls broke 100 and that's what they wanted to do," said Golf Coach Tommy Wheetley. "Sarah was a little problem on the back nine on five, six, seven and eight and she never recovered."
Fayetteville won the team competition with a score of 164, four shots ahead of Russellville (168); five ahead of El Dorado (169). Mount St. Mary's finished with a 188 for fourth and Forrest City had a 190 to finish fifth.
McCurdy, the defending champion, made a bold move on the 18th hole by going for the green in two strokes.
McCurdy was 160 yards from the flag on the uphill par 5 that has a hazard crossing in front of the green. Her shot flew over the hazard onto the green 20 feet short of the hole. She two-putted for birdie and the win.
McCurdy, Vincent and Lisa Bowden from Russellville qualified for the girls Overall Tournament Monday at Harbor Oaks in Pine Bluff. McCurdy, fourth last year, was undefeated in regular season play this season.
Vincent gave up her spot to Fayetteville's Tanner Trumbo.
Vincent will be in Tennessee trying to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open.
McCurdy made the turn at 1 under, while Vincent was 3 over, but Vincent birdied holes 14 and 16 and McCurdy bogeyed 15 to close the gap to one shot going into the 17th hole. On the par 4, they both bogeyed.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Hess Shoes and POPS both stayed undefeated in Bambino (11-12) League play Tuesday.
Both teams improved to 2-0 for the year.
POPS put away Rotary Club 11-8 and Hess downed Vaccaro Lumber 5-1.
POPS got scoring from eight different players in the lineup, led by Randy Miller, Jeremy Golatt and Justin Ross, who scored two runs each in the 11-8 win over Rotary.
Taylor Chism and Nakieer Barton combined for the pitching duties.
POPS got their eight runs on seven hits and used a big six-run, third inning to do most of the damage.
Rotary scored six times in the fourth inning. Garritt Clark and Kyle Ramsey scored two runs each for Rotary while Tyrice Bradley, Taylor Clark and Garritt Clark took turns on the mound.
Hess Shoes 5, Vaccaro 1
Hess scored two runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth to put down Vaccaro 5-1.
Torre Hunter, Kenny Grady, Justin Siler and Jonathan Rolfe scored single runs for Hess.
Chadwick Doyle and Grady pitched for Hess.
Will Malone scored Vaccaro's only run in the bottom of the first inning.
Dale Boyd and Kyle Emerson pitched for Vaccaro.
Cochran Auto 10, Bonanza 6
Justin Cochran and Kellon Bowman scored three runs each to lead Cochran Auto to its first win of the year Tuesday night.
Bonanza falls to 0-2 for the year.
Randy Crawford scored twice for Cochran Auto while William Franklin scored one run.
Bonanza got two runs each from Johnnie Jones and Terrence Pendleton and single runs from Larry Bean and Leonard Banks.
Taco Bell 15, Taylor Glass 5
Taco Bell scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and added three runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings on their way to a 15-5 win Tuesday.
Andre Stephens led the way by scoring three times. Justin Gadberry, Parker Whittenton, Randall Lipe, Jack Otty and Nehemiah Stephens scored two runs each.
Taylor Glass got runs from Joe DeWitt, Wilson Parker, Kenneth Powell and Marquez Powell.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
M&T Paving and Forrest City Lion's Club created a three-way tie for first place in the Minor League Tuesday.
M&T, Taylor-Casbeer and Lion's Club are all 2-0 in the league.
M&T Paving got two runs each from Rothulles Steverson, Cory Deere and Nathan Derrick and used a six-run, fourth inning to put down Mr. T Auto 12-4.
M&T took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and Mr. T tied the game at 2-2 with two runs in the bottom of the inning. froim there, it was all M&T as the team plated three runs in the third, six in the fourth and one in the sixth.
Mr. T got single runs from Ryan Hawkins and Ryan Green and two runs from Austin Alldredy.
Lion's Club held off Easley Law Firm 6-2 using two runs from Larudius Hartway and Jordan Chatters and single runs from Tim Graham and Jacob Billingsley.
Lion's Club led 3-0 before Easley plated its two runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the lead to 3-2.
Sam Bailey and Jarvis Bolden scored Easley's two runs.
Hartway hit a home run in the game for Lion's Club.
Taylor-Casbeer will try to regain sole possession of first place Thursday when they take on Dr. Beasley Thursday at 6 p.m.
Farm Bureau will battle Joey's Muffler at 7:30 p.m. as Minor League action continues.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Food Giant, Sanyo and Title Company are all making early season noise in the girls 10-under slow-pitch softball league.
All three teams are 3-0 for the year.
Food Giant defeated Mom's 11-4 Tuesday night while Title Company held off Steven's and Sanyo downed Forrest City Bank 14-4.
Food Giant got two runs each from Diamondnique Lacy, Megan White and Raven Harrell in putting together a five-run, first inning.
Food Giant ended the game by plating five runs in the third.
Semiko Grady scored twice for Mom's while Meagan Pipkin and Courtney Cole scored single runs.
Kimesha Norris and Brenda Sheldon scored two runs each to help push Title Company past Steven's 7-5.
Steven's led 5-3 going into the bottom of the third inning.
Title Company scored four times in the bottom of the inning to win the game.Steven's got runs from Mary Gregory, Taylor Billingsley, Mary Hodges and Kayla Johnson.
Sanyo's Joy Stephens scored three times to lead her team past Forrest City Bank 14-4.
FC Bank got runs from Robin Steward, Megan Meridith, Ashley Blaylock and Brittany Wilson.
In other 10-under games Tuesday, True Value defeated Walker Insurance 10-3 and Dr. Schwartz ran past Southern Furniture 9-3.
It was True Value's first win of the win while Dr. Schwartz improves to 2-1 in the league standings.
Friday's schedule has been cancelled due to the coaches clinic, which will be held from 7-10 p.m., at the high school indoor athletic complex.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Clay Funeral Home improved to 2-0 Tuesday night as did Dr. St. John in 16-under girls' fast-pitch softball.
Clay turned back Bonanza 8-7 while St. John leveled Boar's Head 20-5.
In the night's third game, McDonald's edged Food Giant 14-13.
Trailing 7-5, Clay plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and then held Bonanza scoreless in the top of the sixth to notch the win.
St. John scored five times in each of the four innings to roll up Boar's Head.
Food Giant and McDonald's were tied at 13-13 going into the bottom of the fourth inning.
McDonald's scored a single run in the inning to win the game.
Jennifer Ballard, Jessica Lewis and Casey Qualls scored three times each for the winners.
Food Giant got two runs each from Brittani Smith, Holly Simon, Haley Widby and Jessica Long.
In 12-under fast-pitch action Tuesday, Giffin's Grins pounded Debbie's Flowers 17-6 and Crowley's Ridge took care of Children's Clinic 14-9.
Giffin's got three runs each from Aukeya Galloway, Kemeshia Chism, Jasmine Scott and Shantel Pitts in the team's run-away win.
Courtney Thomason scored twice for Debbie's while Chari Agnew, Sarah Dickey, Brittney Duckworth and Stephanie Hogue scored single runs.
Ashley Boswell scored three times for Crowley's while Elaina Patton and Sunni Dunn scored two runs each for Children's Clinic.
Friday night's schedule of games has been cancelled because of a league coaches' clinic at the Forrest City indoor Athletic Complex from 7-10 p.m.