By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
JONESBORO -- In the season opener last Friday against Brinkley, the Forrest City Mustangs pitched a shut out against the Tigers, winning 14-0.
Tuesday, in the AAAAA-East Conference opener, the Mustangs felt the sting of being held scoreless as the Jonesboro Hurricane blanked the Mustangs 10-0.
Jonesboro pitcher Jimmy Farley held the Mustangs to just three hits through six innings of work to pick up the win, his second of the season.
Andy Bettis delivered the big blow for the Hurrricane, a three-run home run.
The Mustangs slip to 1-1 overall for the year and 0-1 in the conference.
Jonesboro improves to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in league play.
*The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots dropped to 0-3 for the year Tuesday, losing to Carlisle 13-1 in five innings.
The Patriots lost to Des Arc in last week's opener and then to Barton on Monday.
MARION --The Forrest City Mustang golf teams opened the 2002 season with victories over Marion Tuesday.
The boys' team won 212-213 with Chad Halbert and Brian Hacker each finishing with a 51 and Jake Wade firing a 52.
Marion's John Mark Spicer earned medalist honors with a 49.
Sarah Eldridge shot a 46 to lead the Forrest City girls to a 115-120 win.
Mary Dudley Hodges and Emily Cohn both shot 67 in the match.
Brittany Augenbauge and Brittney Brown led Marion with rounds of 60.
In JV matches, John Scott Carroll fired a 64 for the Mustangs.
Forrest City will host Searcy Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
It only took one inning for the Little Rock Mills Lady Comets to run their season mark to 2-0 while chewing up Forrest City 16-5 in five innings at the Sports Complex.
Mills used a 10-run third inning to most of the damage, pushing their 2-0 lead to 12-0 before the Lady Mustangs got untracked.
The loss drops the Lady Mustangs to 1-1 overall for the year.
The Lady Comets scored single runs in the top of the first and second innings to lead 2-0 and then erupted for 10 runs in the third, using several Forrest City errors to extend their advantage.
The visitors added three more runs in the top of the fourth and a final run in the top of the fifth.
The Lady Mustangs used single runs by Natalie and Mallory Nelson and Alicia Kennedy in the bottom of the third to get on the scoreboard.
They added a single run in the fourth by Jessica Lewis and a run in the fifth inning from Stacey Gracey, but the effort proved to be too little too late as the Lady Comets ended the game using the 10-run after five inning rule.
Forrest City loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning but failed to push a run across.
The Lady Mustangs went down in order in the bottom of the second.
The Lady Mustangs could not match their effort in a season-opening 19-4 win over Little Rock McClellan last week.
Coach Amber Main said she was missing five Lady Mustangs -- three of those starters -- to a band concert.
"We had to move some people around to help fill in," Main said. "But we still made too many errors and just didn't play fundamentally sound."
The Lady Mustangs don't get any rest.
The team will make too long road trips -- to Little Rock McClellan today, a 4 p.m. start and to Jacksonville on Thursday, a 5 p.m. start.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Beginning their first-ever fast-pitch softball season, the Lady Patriots played host to the Barton Lady Bears Tuesday at Palestine.
Both teams were taking the field for the first time this season.
"I'm not going to lie to you, I was really nervous," P-W Coach Beverly Bass said. "Making the change from slow-pitch to fast-pitch had me nervous because I don't know the fast-pitch game as well. But I was pleased with the girls and their effort. We have a strong infield and that helped us."
Nonetheless, the Lady Patriots used two runs each from Nikki Bass and Libby Martin and a home run from Ashley McGraw to take an 8-2 win over Barton.
Barton led 1-0 early but P-W tied the game at 1-1 when Bass walked and stole second, third and home to score. The Lady Patriots went on to score three runs in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead.
Martin pitched the complete game.
Kara Siler, Beth Varvil and Marla Gardner each scored single runs for Palestine-Wheatley.
The Lady Patriots are embarking on a rather lengthy schedule this season, playing each of the conference members twice during the regular season.
Bass said she would probably make a couple of adjustments to the line up for Thursday's home game against Brinkley.
"I might shift a couple of players around," Bass said. "But it won't be that big a deal."
The registration process for a new 18-under girls' fast-pitch softball league in Forrest City, is under way now and will continue through Friday, March 8.
Anyone interested in siging up for the league should can do so at Forrest City City Hall from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. For more information about the league, contact Kenneth Taylor at (870) 633-3667.
Individual player fees are $15 for those living inside the city limits and $25 for those living outside the city limits.
The Arkansas Hawks 15-under boys AAU basketball team will hold tryouts at 1 p.m., Sunday, March 10.
For more information call Derek Joe at (501) 650-8165.
Salem will host a preseason baseball tournament beginning Thursday, March 21.
T-Ball to Babe Ruth leagues can compete.
For more information, call David at (501) 316-1070.
* HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Tuesday's Scores
Jonesboro 10, Forrest City 0
Carlisle 13, Palestine-Wheatley 1
Thursday, March 7
Palestine-Wheatley at Elaine, 4 p.m.
Friday, March 8
Forrest City at Searcy, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 9
Lonoke at palestine-Wheatley, 1 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL GOLF
Tuesday's Results
Forrest City boys defeated Marion
Forrest City girls defeated Marion
Thursday, March 7
Searcy at Forrest City, 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL
Tuesday, March 12
Hughes at Elaine, 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 14
Hughes at Cross County, 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL
Tuesday's Scores
Little Rock Mills 16, Forrest City 5 (5 innings)
Palestine-Wheatley 8, Barton 2
Wednesday, March 6
Forrest City at LR McClellan, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 7
Forrest City at Jacksonville, 5 p.m.
Brinkley at Palestine-Wheatley, 4 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
Thursday, March 7
Forrest City at West Helena, 3:30 p.m.
(Practice Meet - Boys and Girls)
JUNIOR HIGH TRACK
Tuesday, March 12
Forrest City Blue & White at West Memphis, 4 p.m. Boys & Girls