By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
WYNNE -- It was muddy and by the time Forrest City and Wynne recorded the final out shortly before 8 p.m., Thursday night, it was bone-numbing cold -- 35 degrees with a wind chill dipping into the lower 20s.
But at least it wasn't raining.
"It wasn't raining and we needed to play," said Forrest City Mustang Coach Reggie Murphy, following the Mustangs' 8-4 loss to the Yellowjackets at the Wynne Sports Complex. "And we will play again Friday when Wynne comes to our place. With Spring Break starting Monday, we didn't need to miss two full weeks."
Forrest City was rained out of Tuesday's conference game against Blytheville.
Thursday's start was pushed back to 6 p.m., instead of the normal 4:30 starting time, to give the field just a little longer to dry out from the week's worth of rain that left the area saturated.
Forrest City falls to 2-5 for the year. Wynne improves to 3-1.
Sophomore Colby McKennon and senior Marcus Hancock combined for the Mustangs' pitching duties and gave up the eight runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three Wynne batters.
Wynne's Dillon Hess worked the complete game, giving up all four Forrest City runs on nine hits and striking out 11 Mustang hitters.
The Mustangs broke on top 2-0 in the top of the second inning when Brad Taylor and Terrance Ware each singled and scored on an RBI triple by Chris Autry.
Wynne tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the second, using two hits and one walk.
The Yellowjackets took a 3-2 lead with a single run in the bottom of the third before Forrest City regained a 4-3 advantage with two runs in the top of the fourth when Autry singled and McKennon used a Wynne error to get on base. Both came around to score on Brandon Cochran's RBI double and Desmond Golatt's run-scoring single.
Wynne plated five runs on three hits and three walks in the bottom of the fifth inning. and held the Mustangs scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the come-from-behind win.
"We still haven't found that killer instinct," Murphy said of his Mustangs. "We're still waiting for something to happen rather than making something happen that will help us get a win."
The two teams will play today at 4:30 p.m., at the Sports Complex.
In a game scheduled at the last minute, the Forrest City Lady Mustangs gave up a run in the top of the seventh inning to Blytheville and failed to convert in their final at-bat in an 11-10 loss at the Sports Complex.
Blytheville's run snapped a 10-10 tie.
Angela Williams had a hot bat for the Lady Mustangs, with two run-scoring triples.
Stacey Gracey pitched the complete game for the Lady Mustangs.
Forrest City returns to action on April 1.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City Lady Mustangs forward Caronica Randle will be honored Monday, March 25, at the inaugural "Night of the Champions" awards banquet presented by Arkansas Prep Hoops.
The banquet, set for 7 p.m., is being held at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
Randle, a junior this season for the Lady Mustangs basketball team, was named the Class AAAAA Player of the Week during week four of the 2001-02 high school basketball season, for her performance at the Heavenly Hoopfest tournament at Mount St. Mary's.
During the season, Arkansas Prep Hoops recognized outstanding boys' and girls' individual performances in each of the state's five classifications.
Players were nominated by their coaches and sports writers across the state based on individual game stats and the winners were announced on KATV-Channel 7 sports.
At the tournament, Randle set two career-scoring marks by scoring 22 and 30 points in back-to-back games.
Randle will receive a plaque and t-shirt and is eligible for the Future Stars Boys' and Girls' Team, which honors the state's best juniors and sophomores.
The selections will be announced during the banquet as will the selections to the All-Arkansas First and Second team.
The banquet will conclude with the naming of Mr. and Ms. Arkansas Basketball.
Former KTHV-Channel 11 sports director Ray Tucker will be the Master of Ceremonies and UALR men's basketball coach Porter Moser will be the keynote speaker.
Also scheduled to speak will be Arkansas State University men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt and University of Tulsa assistant women's coach Mike Neighbors.
Tickets for the banquet are being sold on a first come, first serve basis and are $30 each. For more information contact APH Sports, Inc., at (501) 641-5604.
If the NCAA and NIT college games fall short of whetting your basketball appetite, then check out the 13-Under AAU Basketball Showcase at Mustang Arena Saturday (March 23).
Four seventh-grade AAU teams, including the Forrest City Colts, will take part in a round-robin style event in which each team will play three games.
The Colts are being coached by Casey Baxter and Murry Cline.
Admission to the games are $3 for adults and $2 students.
Forrest City will start the day by playing the Jonesboro Miracle at 9 a.m.
They return at 12:45 p.m., to take on Jonesboro's NEA Dream Team, which features Forrest City seventh-grader, Stephon Weaver.
The Colts will play their final game at 3;15 p.m., when they face the Little Rock Wolfpack