By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
If you want to play in Forrest City's youth baseball or softball league -- now is the time to sign up.
Friday is the deadline for late sign up period.
Recreation Director Kenneth Taylor is hoping the final two days will help bring the program numbers up to where they should be.
Taylor said Wednesday that overall numbers -- both leagues combined -- are down from this time a year ago.
"But I think we will get to where we need to be by Friday or real close," Taylor said.
Taylor said the Junior Babe Ruth league and the 16-under girls' softball league are the two leagues suffering the most from a lack of participants.
But Taylor isn't too worried.
"I think those numbers will turn around," Taylor said.
Taylor also said efforts to start an 18-under girls' softball program failed.
"We thought we had enough interest, but we only got enough applicants for about two teams and we really needed to have at least four," Taylor said.
Late sign-up fees are $20 for youths living inside the city limits and $30 for those living outside the city limits.
Taylor said most of the coaches for the youth teams are in place.
The youth baseball and softball leagues will begin play in early May.
Registration continues for the adult men's and women's softball league with April 1st as the deadline.
Adult team registration fees are $350.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
One base at a time.
That's the technique Cabot used Wednesday to hand the Forrest City Lady Mustangs their worst loss of the year -- an 18-0 conference shutout at the Sports Complex in five innings.
Cabot junior pitcher Molly Fleming held Forrest City to just one hit Wednesday while her teammates bunted and stole their way around the bases.
Fleming retired the Forrest City side in order in the bottom of the first, third and fourth innings.
Forrest City's only base hit came from the bat of Kim Hoots in the bottom of the second, when she beat out an infield hit. Hoots just beat the throw to second base on a fielder's choice play that left Jennifer Ballard safe at first.
Natalie Nelson's sacrifice bunt got the runs to third and second before Jessica Long grounded out to end the inning.
That would be as close as the Lady Mustangs would get to scoring in the game.
Cabot pecked out 11 hits and took advantage of 11 walks issued by Forrest City pitcher, freshman Mallory Nelson, to score their 18 runs.
Cabot, 3-0 for the year, led 4-0 after one inning and 8-0 after two innings.
They added two runs in the third, three in the fourth and five in the fifth.
It was the first time in five games, the Lady Mustangs have been shut out on the scoreboard.
Forrest City slips to 2-3 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
The Lady Mustangs will travel to Sylvan Hills today to face the Lady Bears in a 4 p.m. start.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Jake Wade and Sawyer Ramsey fired identical rounds of 41 Wednesday and the Forrest City Mustang golf team picked up their second win of the year, defeating Bald Knob 168-219.
The nonconference match was played at the Forrest City Country Club.
Wade and Ramsey finished one-two in the matches and landed co-medalist honors for the day.
Chad Halbert finished with a round of 42 while Josh Coleman had a 44.
The Mustangs defeated Marion in the season opener.
Sarah Eldridge finished with a 47 for the day but didn't have any competition from Bald Knob, which did not field a girls' team this year.
Her 47 was better than any of the final scores posted by the Bald Knob boys' team.
Vince Brown led Bald Knob with a 50 while Matt Higgins finished with a 53.
In junior varsity boys' play, John Scott Carroll fired a 54 and Klint Kowen finished with a 63 as the Mustang duo bested Bald Knob 117-130.
Forrest City will travel to West Memphis today for conference matches beginning at 3:30 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Mustang baseball team returns to the diamond today when they host West Memphis in AAAAA-East Conference action at the Sports Complex.
Start time is 4:30 p.m.
The Mustangs are 1-2 for the year and haven't played since last Thursday when they fell to Searcy 8-2.
The Mustangs are 0-1 in the conference, having lost 10-0 to Jonesboro last week.
In other games set for today, the Forrest City Lady Mustang softball team travels to Sylvan Hills and the Mustang golf team goes to West Memphis.
Over at Palestine-Wheatley, the Patriots who haven't played since March 5, will host Gillett today in a 4 p.m. start.
The Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots will make the trip to Hazen.
The Lady Patriots defeated Brinkley 19-6 Wednesday in fast-pitch softball action.
Palestine-Wheatley improves to 2-0 for the year.
The Hughes Lady Blue Devils will take the field for the first-time ever today when the girls' softball team plays Cross County.
The Lady Blue Devils are being coached this season by Brad Brannen.
Likewise, the first-ever Hughes Blue Devil baseball team is set to open Friday when they host Turrell at 4 p.m.
The AAAAA-East Conference fast-pitch softball season is underway and two of the eight teams are poised and ready to stand tall as the league race develops.
In fact, it could very well be a two-team race for the 2002 league title.
Cabot and Jacksonville, the two schools most experienced in the fine art of fast-pitch softball are off and running.
Cabot is in the fourth year of fast-pitch while Jacksonville is in year three. Jonesboro and West Memphis are beginning their second full season of fast-pitch while LR Mills, Forrest City, Sylvan Hills and Blytheville are all in their Cinderella season.
When asked about the league being a two-team race, Cabot's Becky Steward agrees that her Lady Panthers and Jacksonville may have the best shot.
"Jacksonville is always very strong and they've got a lot of seniors this year who have been playing varsity for a long time," Steward said.
But don't overlook Steward's Lady Panthers, who are off to a 3-0 start.
Cabot, 25-6 a year ago, shared the conference title last season but were upset in the first round of the state tournament.
Cabot is relying on the strength of several key returning players including senior pitcher Dana Marvin, junior Molly Fleming, senior Stephanie Bradley, Tara Sterrenberg, Crystal Sullivan, Shauna Chambers and Jamie Williams.
Cabot has already knocked off Jonesboro, winning 3-1 and disposed of Forrest City Wednesday, 18-0.
Meanwhile Jacksonville's Lady Devils want to make history
Jacksonville returns eight experienced players from last season's 25-7 team, including Misty Morehart, Rachel Town-send and Nakelya Moragne.
Cassie Caldwell, Terrise Williams, Kenisa Dokes, Dionne Tate and Erin Gray are also expected to contribute this year.
The Lady Red Devils have reached the semifinals of the state tournament each of the past two years, but both times were turned away by the eventual state champs.
Jacksonville, like Cabot, wants a state title this time around.
Jacksonville started conference play last week by rolling over Forrest City 16-1 and followed that effort with a 10-1 win over Mountain Home, who is moving into the East conference next season, along with Searcy.
Forrest City, Sylvan Hills, Blytheville and Little Rock Mills are all joining the fast-pitch softball ranks this year.
Last year the Lady Mustangs won the conference title and reached the semifinals of the slow-pitch regional tournament. Forrest City finished 11-6 overall.
This year, the team has two new coaches and a wealth of young talent. There are no seniors at all, among nine freshmen, one sophomore and six juniors.
Freshman pitchers Mallory Nelson and Stacey Gracey will be fixtures on the mound for the Lady Mustangs this season.
Sylvan Hills finished last year's slow-pitch season at 26-3 overall and 12-0 in conference play.
The Lady Bears also finished as runners-up in the state tournament.
They lost five, four-year starters as they begin fast-pitch.
Sylvan Hills' senior outfielder April Harris is expected to take the on-field leadership role with help from Danielle Birdsong, Megan Sardin, Lindsey Howard and freshman pitcher Brittany Dickerson.
Sylvan Hills coach Johnny Rice expects the league to be Cabot and Jacksonville at the top and then everyone else.
Sylvan Hills will host Forrest City today at 4 p.m.
* PREP SPORTS
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Thursday, March 14
West Memphis at Forrest City, 4:30 p.m.
Gillett at Palestine-Wheatley, 4 p.m.
Friday, March 15
Turrell at Hughes, 4 p.m.
Osceola at Forrest City, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 16
Searcy at Forrest City, 1:30 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL GOLF
Wednesday's Scores
Forrest City defeated Bald Knob 168-219
Thursday, March 14
Forrest City at West Memphis, 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL
Thursday, March 14
Hughes vs Cross County, 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL
Wednesday's Scores
Cabot 18, Forrest City 0
Palestine-Wheatley 19, Brinkley 6
Thursday, March 14
Palestine-Wheatley at Hazen, 4 p.m.
Forrest City at Sylvan Hills, 4 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
Friday, March 15
Forrest City at West Memphis
(Senior boys, senior girls)