By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
LITTLE ROCK -- Forrest City's Lady Mustang fast-pitch softball team had to work a little harder Wednesday for a win over Little Rock McClellan than they did in Last Thursday's victory.
In fact, the Lady Mustangs had to rally in the third and fourth innings to take an 11-9 win over the Lady Lions to improve to 2-1 for the year.
Freshman pitchers Mallory Nelson and Stacey Gracey combined to help in the victory.
Nelson gave up eight of McClellan's nine runs in two innings before Gracey took the mound and held the Lady Lions to just one run over the final three innings. Gracey walked seven and struck out five.
The Lady Mustangs plated four runs in the top of the first to lead 4-2 after one full inning.
The Lady Lions took the lead in the second inning by scoring six runs to lead 8-4.
Forrest City got within one at 8-7 by scoring three times in the top of the third and regained the lead at 10-9 with three runs in the fourth.
Jessica Lewis led the Lady Mustangs offensively by scoring three runs on two walks and a base hit while Jennifer Ballard and Tyeshia McDaniel added two runs each. McDaniel used a fielder's choice and a triple to get on base.
Kimberly Hoots, Angela Williams, Jessica Long and Nelson scored single runs to help in the victory.
Weather permitting the Lady Mustangs will travel to Jacksonville today to take on the Lady Red Devils in a 5 p.m. start at Dupree Park.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Long Island University's Lady Blackbirds are trying to get back to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
The Blackbirds made the NCAA field for the first-time ever a year ago after winning the Northeast Conference tournament title. Their stay was short-lived when they lost to UConn in the first round.
Come Saturday, LIU has a chance to repeat as tournament champions when they face St. Francis, Pa. in the tournament finals. A win over St. Francis gives LIU an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament field.
Former Palestine-Wheatley standout Mandy Myers is in her second full season with the Lady Blackbirds.
LIU, which finished second in the NEC standings this season, defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 80-60 in quarterfinals of the tournament last Saturday and then knocked off Sacred Heart 73-56 in Sunday's semifinal game.
St. Francis is the top-seeded team into the tournament and will host the championship game. LIU entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, the school's highest seeding ever.
Myers has played in 20 of the Lady Blackbirds' games this season and has averaged about three minutes per game.
by FRED CONLEY
If your appetite for high school basketball is still simmering, then by all means, the place to be this weekend is Pine Bluff.
Championship weekend starts Friday at the Convention Center.
While there are no local teams playing for state titles this time around, there are some solid matchups on tap.
The AAAAA-East Conference is being represented by the West Memphis Lady Blue Devils when they take on the state's top girls' team, Fort Smith Northside, who are also nationally-ranked at No. 3.
The Class AAAAA girls title game will be played Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Northside is the three-time defending champion, so West Memphis, as they say, has their work cut out for them.
While we're on the subject of AAAAA-East girls' teams, how many took notice that the East placed three teams in the state tournament semifinals?
West Memphis, as we have already mentioned, Jonesboro and Mountain Home.
I know, I know, Mountain Home was actually a member of the Central conference this year but beginning next year Mountain Home moves into the East conference with Searcy, replacing LR Mills and Sylvan Hills.
So technically speaking, Mountain Home's semifinal appearance gave the East three East teams.
Jonesboro was eliminated by West Memphis and Mountain Home fell to Northside.
Jacksonville's Lady Red Devils, another East member, made some history of their own in the Class AAAAA state tourney, winning the school's first-ever tournament game, when they defeated Bentonville in the first round.
Jacksonville fell to Mountain Home in the second round.
Through two games, it has been feast and famine for the Forrest City Mustang baseball team.
Against Brinkley, the Mustangs plated 14 runs in a shutout over Brinkley.
Earlier this week, the Mustangs gave up 10 runs in a shutout loss to Jonesboro.
Today, weather permitting, the Mustangs will try to find a "happy" medium when they face Brinkley for the second time this year.
Looking just a little ways beyond the high school baseball season, Darrell Gaskin has been hired as the new Forrest City American Legion head coach.
Gaskin will coach both squads this season. More on these developments later.
* PREP BASKETBALL
STATE FINALS
PINE BLUFF CONVENTION CENTER
PINE BLUFF, ARK.
Class AAAAA
Girls' Final
Friday, March 8
West Memphis vs. FS Northside, 3:30 p.m.
Boys Final
Saturday, March 9
LR Central vs. LR Parkview, 11:30 a.m.
Class AAAA
Girls Final
Friday, March 8
Harrison vs. Siloam Springs, 7 p.m.
Boys Final
Saturday, March 9
Osceola vs. LR Fair, 6:30 p.m.
Class AAA
Girls Final
Saturday, March 9
Ozark vs. Highland, 4:45 p.m.
Boys Final
Friday, March 8
Dumas vs. Pulaski Academy, 8:45 p.m.
Class AA
Girls Final
Saturday, March 9
Greenland vs. Poyen, 1:15 p.m.
Boys Final
Friday, March 8
Hector vs. Poyen, 5:15 p.m.
Class A
Girls Final
Saturday, March 9
Bradley vs. Guy-Perkins, 8:15 p.m.
Boys Final
Saturday, March 9
Viola vs. Delight, 3 p.m.
* PREP SPORTS
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
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
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
Wednesday's Score
Forrest City 11, LR McClellan 9
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)
Forrest City at WMemphis, 3:30 p.m.
(Practice Meet - Girls)
JUNIOR HIGH TRACK
Tuesday, March 12
Forrest City Blue & White at West Memphis, 4 p.m. Boys & Girls