By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Barnes Timber plated five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, using a pair of home runs, to put away M&T Paving 19-9 Monday to wrap up the adult men's softball league.
The victory makes Barnes the first team to finish undefeated in league play since the old Wholesale Electric team accomplished the feat in the late 1980s.
As near as anyone on the Barnes team can remember, that is.
Barnes completes the season at 24-0 and as league champions. Dating back to last year's fall league, Barnes is now 42-0 in league play.
"We've had a good run with some good talented softball players," said Barnes' Robbie Parkman. "One of the keys to staying unbeaten is that we've had all of our players show up for every game and that makes a huge difference when you can do that."
M&T used a six run fourth inning to take a 9-8 lead but fell behind in the bottom half of the inning and were held scoreless over the final two innings.
The M&T loss left the team in a tie for second with Gym 2000 and forced a playoff game Monday.
Gym 2000 won the tie-breaking affair 11-7 to finish the year at 20-5 and in sole possession of second place. M&T ends the year at 19-6 and in third place.
Sanyo held on to take fourth with an 18-6 mark while Kerby's finished fifth at 16-9.
In other games played Monday, Gym 2000 defeated Kerby's 22-14, Greg's downed Food Giant 16-10, Sanyo defeated the Bulldogs 20-16, Miller Insurance got past Morgan 19-12 and the Young Guns finished off TSM Computers 22-5.
In the only makeup game, Morgan downed Greg's 16-15.
Palestine-Wheatley Patriots continue summer drills in preparation for their Sept. 6 home opener against Des Arc. The Patriots have been working twice a day -- offensive and defensive linemen in the mornings and backs and receivers in the evening.
The Patriots are coming off a 7-4 season in 2001 in which P-W made the Class AA playoffs. The Patriots graduated 10 seniors from last year's squad but are expected to return at least that many for the 2002 season, along with a talented sophomore class.
P-W will play at Clarendon on Aug. 27 in a preseason scrimmage game that will also include the Palestine-Wheatley Junior High Patriots. The Junior Patriots worked out for the first time on Monday and will officially open their 2002 season when they host Earle on Sept. 5.
A Hunter Education Course will be held Aug. 26, 27 and 29, at Village Creek State Park in Wynne.
Classes for the three-day course will be from 6 until 9:30 p.m. each night and the course is free to those who wish to participate.
The class is limited to the first 40 who preregister. Call Bubba Mitchell at (870) 238-2986 to sign up.
Registration is now under way for the Forrest City adult men and co-ed fall softball leagues.
For more information, call Kenneth Taylor at (870) 633-3667.
* CITY LEAGUES
ADULT SOFTBALL
Monday's Scores
Gym 2000 22, Kerby's 14
Miller Insurance 19, Morgan 12
Greg's 16, Food Giant 10
Barnes Timber 19, M&T Paving 9
Sanyo 20, Bulldogs 16
Young Guns 22, TSM Computers 5
Second-Place Playoff Game
Gym 2000 11, M&T Paving 7
Make-Up Game
Morgan 16, Greg's 15