By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
For three innings, the Forrest City AAA American Legion squad was matching Greenbrier out-for-out and trailing just 2-1.
Then, they had to play the fourth inning, which proved to be the start of the team's undoing.
Greenbrier scored four runs in the fourth using three hits, one walk and a couple of Forrest City errors to build a 6-1 lead.
Still, Forrest City Coach Darrell Gaskin thought his team was still in the game.
"At 6-1 in the fourth, I felt good that we still had a chance to come back," Gaskin said.
It wasn't meant to be, however, as Greenbrier added four runs in each of the final two innings to take home a 14-1 run-rule victory at the Sports Complex.
The loss leaves the AAA squad at 0-2 for the year. The 'A' squad did not play as originally scheduled.
Gaskin and his players will have several days to sort through what went wrong and hopefully find a solution.
Forrest City does not play again until Tuesday, May 28, when they host Jonesboro.
Friday's game against Batesville has been cancelled.
Dustin Gore notched his second start for Forrest City and worked the first two innings before giving way to Jesse Whittemore, Brad Taylor and finally Daniel Parten.
Issac Davis accounted for Forrest City's lone run when he led off with a hit, stole second and scored on a ground out in the first inning.
Greenbrier made it 2-1 in the top of the second.
Forrest City didn't get another hit until the bottom of the fifth when Adam Roberts singled and Parten singled.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
At times, the East Central Arkansas Razorback Club Rally, held Wednesday night at the Forrest City Civic Center, sounded more like an open-air, tent revival service than a sports banquet.
And if you didn't know that Stan Heath was Arkansas' new Razorback basketball coach, you would swear he was a travelin' evangelist, just passin' through.
Heath, making his first-ever visit to Forrest City (and quite possibly the Delta region, for that matter) was this year's featured speaker at the annual rally.
From the moment Heath arrived just before 6 p.m. for the "social hour" until he answered his final question from the audience, he was the "man of the hour."
Several times during his speech, his statements brought vocal response from the partisan Razorback crowd.
I could have sworn I even heard an "amen" and a "preach on, brother."
Dressed casually and looking very relaxed, Heath spent his first hour in Forrest City talking with any and everyone who approached him and signing caps and other items.
He didn't hurry. He didn't flinch. He took it all in stride. Heath was every bit the "Arkansas Razorback Ambassador" to Forrest City Wednesday night.
In short, Heath appears to be a great fit at the university and just the calming influence the basketball program needs following the tumultuous end to the Nolan Richardson era.
He talked about the things that the fans at the rally wanted to hear -- his coaching philosophy and his plan to get the Razorbacks back on track.
To this reporter, Heath talked about Palestine-Wheatley's Carl Baker, who he called "a leader in every sense of the word."
Heath said he feels Baker has found his role with the Razorbacks and will be one of the players on which he will be able to count on when the game is on the line.
Heath talked about wanting to play up tempo, and rebounding and playing a solid "inside-out game."
He made no bones about wanting to recruite and sign "a big man inside."
Heath said he wants his recruits to come in as good players and leave as better players and better persons.
And he wants to improve the graduation percentage of players coming through the basketball program.
"I can't guarantee that every player will graduate, but I will guarantee a higher percentage rate of graduated players," Heath said.
Heath said he has been amazed at how single-minded Arkansas fans are, focusing all of their attention toward the Razorbacks.
"That makes this one of the greatest jobs in the nation," Heath said.
But of every comment made by Heath, maybe the one single statement that drew the loudest and best response was when Heath told the crowd he wants his Razorback players to "do things first class all of the time."
"I want the players to be positive and pro-active and always look at the glass as being half full instead of half empty. And I promise you my players won't be wearing their shorts down around their knees," Heath added. "And there won't be any trash talkin' going on, not from us."
Amen to that, brother.
Heath will be good for Arkansas and Arkansas, I hope, will be good for Stan Heath.
He has already got over the first hurdle of his Arkansas coaching career -- he now knows how to lead a crowd in calling the Hogs.
* CITY LEAGUES
ADULT SOFTBALL
Men's League
Thursday, May 23
Bulldogs vs Food Giant, 7 p.m. F3
Greg's vs Kerby's, 7 p.m. F4
Young Guns vs Sanyo, 8 p.m. F3
Barnes Timber vs Morgan, 8 p.m. F4
Boar's Head vs Gym 2000, 9 p.m. F3
TSM Computers vs M&T Paving, 9 p.m. F4
Women's League
Clark Appraisals vs Chism, 7 p.m. F1
First National Bank vs Purple Haze, 8 p.m. F1
YOUTH BASEBALL
Minor League (Pitching Machine)
Thursday, May 23
M&T Paving vs Easley Law, 6 p.m. F7
Devazier vs Dr. Beasley, 7:30 p.m. F7
Bambino League (11-12)
Thursday, May 23
Cochran Auto vs Taylor Glass, 6 p.m. F5
Pearson Ins. vs L&L Electric, 6 p.m. F6
Bonanza vs Vaccaro, 7:30 p.m. F5
Ray Houser vs Taco Bell, 7:30 p.m. F6
Junior Babe Ruth (13-15)
Thursday, May 23
Union Planter's Bank vs Fred's, 6 p.m. F8
Rotary Club vs Freeman, 7:45 p.m. F8