By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
When the Hughes Lady Blue Devils take the field Saturday afternoon (weather permitting) for their first-round game at the Region 2 Slow Pitch Softball Tournament in Augusta, the opponent will be a familiar one.
The Lady Blue Devils will be facing the Cross County Lady Thunderbirds -- a team they played twice during the regular season.
"They beat us both times," said Hughes Coach Brad Brannen. "I figured we would draw either Cross County or McCrory on Saturday. We've made some progress this season, considering some of the girls have never played softball before."
Cross County is the No. 2 seed from the 2-South into the regional, after losing to McCrory Wednesday in the district tournament finals.
McCrory will face No. 4 seeded Osceola Saturday morning at 10 a.m., to open the regional.
Hughes, in their first-ever season of girls' softball, is the No. 3 seeded team from District 6.
The two will meet at 1 p.m., Saturday at Stanley Park in Augusta.
The winner advances to play West Helena at 4 p.m. Marked Tree has forfeited out of the regional tourney due to a lack of players.
Hughes and West Helena played twice Monday at the district tournament in Clarendon.
In case of rain, the tournament will be played Monday.
The top two teams from the regional will advance to the State Slow Pitch Tournament, which will be played at Augusta.
*The Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots will open Region 6 Fast Pitch Tournament action Saturday at 10 a.m., at Burns Park in North Little Rock.
The Lady Patriots will face top-seeded Guy-Perkins in the first-round game.
*The Forrest City Lady Mustangs will close out their regular fast pitch conference season today when they host West Memphis for a varsity-junior varsity macthup at the Sports Complex at 4 p.m.
The Lady Mustangs are 3-18 for the year and winless in the league.
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils won the outright conference title Monday by defeating Cabot 2-0.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City youth baseball program doesn't start for another week, but fans can get a preseason glimpse of the Bambino (11-12) League this weekend.
Eight teams -- seven from the Forrest City program plus Brinkley -- will make up the Fireball Classic Cal Ripken Invitational Tournament, which is scheduled to start Friday evening at the Sports Complex.
The tournament is being sponsored by the Fireballs youth baseball traveling team.
The eight teams have been divided into two pools of four teams each.
Each team will play each of the teams within their respective pools with the two teams with the best record advancing to play in the championship game, scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Pool A includes Pearson, Taco Bell, Brinkley and Ray Houser while Pool B includes Bonanza, Taylor Glass, Vaccaro and L&L Electirc.
Admission to the tournament is $2 for adults and $1 for children, ages 6-under.
The Forrest City Mustang baseball team has cancelled its nonconference varsity game against Marion, originally set to be played Friday.
The Mustangs will close out their regular season on Tuesday, April 30, when they travel to Cabot a varsity doubleheader against the Panthers.
The Mustangs remain winless in the AAAAA-East and are 4-15 overall for the year.
* PREP SPORTS
FAST PITCH SOFTBALL
Thursday, April 25
West Memphis at Forrest City, 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 27
Region 6 Tournament at Burns Park, NLR
Guy-Perkins vs P-W, 10 a.m., Field 1
Gillett vs Arkansas Baptist, 10 a.m., Field 2
Woodlawn vs Conway St. Joseph, 11:45 a.m.
PBluff St. Joe vs Hazen, 11:45 a.m.
SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL
Saturday, April 27
District 2 Slow Pitch Tournament at Augusta
McCrory vs Osceola, 10 a.m.
Clarendon vs Tuckerman, 11:30 a.m.
West Helena vs Marked Tree
Hughes vs Cross County, 1 p.m.
Semifinal Games Saturday at 2:30 and 4 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Tuesday, April 23
Jonesboro 16, Forrest City 2
Friday, April 26
Maron at Forrest City - Cancelled
Tuesday, April 30
Forrest City at Cabot, 5 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
Thursday, April 25
AAAAA-East Conference Championships
at Jonesboro High School, 3:30 p.m.