By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Finally, the Junior Bambino (9-10) League teams were able to open their season Tuesday.
Last Friday's regular-scheduled opener was rained out. Tuesday, everyone played except Sanyo, who had the open date.
Farm Credit and A&C Motors hooked up in what may have been the most entertaining game of the night -- one that was decided in the last inning by a single run.
Farm Credit scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 12-6 and then had to weather a fourth inning rally which saw A&C push five runs across the plate before getting the final three outs in a 12-11 Farm Credit win.
Wesley McGill led the team with three runs on three hits and two RBIs. Ben Dickey, Brandon Moton, Caleb Sugg and Arthur Franks each scored two runs.
Lance Hughes and Dickey combined for the pitching duties.
Brandon Rickard scored three times for A&C while Bryan Whittenton scored twice.
Mr. T Auto 10, Food Giant 6
Mr. T Auto plated five runs in the bottom of the first inning and rode the outburst to a 10-6 win over Food Giant.
Zack Hill and Larry Smith scored two runs each for the winners. Smith and Kantrel Hines formed the pitching duo.
Chandler Sorrels and Charles Anderson combined for the Food Giant pitching duties.
Title Company 12, Hill Concrete 2
Title Company scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning using four hits -- including a home run by Chris Jacobs -- and four walks enroute to a 12-2 win over Hill Tuesday.
Rothulles Steverson, Chance Vaughn and Jeffery Johnson each scored two runs in the victory.
Josh Brock pitched the complete game.
Lee Henderson and Ladarius Townsend scored single runs for Hill.
Lucas Trucking 11, VIP's 0
A six-run first inning pushed Lucas Trucking past the VIP's 11-0 Tuesday night.
Jeffrey Siler, Daries Banks, Jarvis Bolden and Thodis Goodwin scored two runs each for the winners.
Jim Bailey pitched the complete game and struck out 10 of the 17 batters he faced.
The VIP's had just five base runners during the game, with only one getting as far as third base.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Last year's regular season champion Sanyo started this year just as they ended league play a year ago -- with a convincing win.
Tuesday night, Sanyo scored five runs in the bottom of the first and went on to shut out Walker Insurance 9-0 in 10-under girls slow pitch softball.
In other games Tuesday, Forrest City Bank downed Southern Furniture 10-3, True Value slipped past Title Company 6-5, Food Giant put down Staven's 10-6 and Dr. Schwartz ran all over McDonald's 20-1.
The 12-under and 16-under fast pitch leagues will open their seasons on Tuesday, May 14.
Amber Jones and Nikki Harris scored two runs each to lead Sanyo.
Dr. Schwartz got three runs from Samantha Casey and Nikki Derrick and got at least one run from everyone in the line up in the 20-1 opening game win.
Morgan Mathes scored McDonald's lone run.
Food Giant opened a 7-0 lead after two innings on their way to the 10-6 win over Steven's.
Tanesha Parchman scored three runs for Food Giant.
Tied at 5-5 going into the bottom of the fourth, True Value got a run from Cassie Holloway to clip Title Company 6-5.
Forrest City Bank scored five runs in the first inning and added four more in the fourth in their 10-3 win over Southern Furniture.
The 10-under league will not play Friday night due to Forrest City graduation, but will return to action on Tuesday, May 14.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
CABOT -- Before Forrest City senior Sarah Eldridge opened play Tuesday at the Class AAAAA State Golf Tournament, she took on her coach, Tommy Wheetley in a "friendly" one-on-one match Monday.
Wheetley knew it wasn't going to be that friendly. He was right.
"I won the match by one stroke and it took me 18 holes to do it," Wheetley said Tuesday. "She played me tough as nails the whole time and she wasn't about to quit."
The one-on-one competition against Wheetley served its purpose.
Tuesday, Eldridge shot an 85 to finish third behind El Dorado senior Amanda McCurdy and Van Buren's Carissa Sullivan.
A year ago, Eldridge finished ninth at the state tournament with a 91.
"This is quite an accomplishment for her," Wheetley said. "To move up from ninth a year ago to third this season is a testimony to the kind of person and athlete Sarah is."
It was just a week ago that Eldridge had her worst-ever day in competition, shooting a 104 to finish second at the AAAAA-East Conference Tournament.
Tuesday, after the first five holes, Eldridge was at even par.
"I was thinking to myself, this is insane," Eldridge said. "I had never had a round this great before."
McCurdy, 18, who has signed a full scholarship with the University of Arkansas, won her third consecutive state title, shooting a two-over-par 74 on Tuesday in at Greystone Golf Club.
Eldridge will attend the University of Arkansas, but said she is not going to play golf.
"I think it's time for me to just concentrate on other things," Eldridge said. "I've had a great time playing high school golf, but I think it's time to put it aside."
Sullivan, who was competing as an individual entrant, was second with a 79. Fayetteville's Tanner Trumber finished one stroke behind Eldridge with an 86.
In the team competition, Forrest City finished 10th with El Dorado taking the team title with a score of 170.
The Lady Mustangs shot 219 as a team. Mary Dudley Hodges finished with a 134 for Forrest City while Hannah Cohn shot a 136.
"Sarah has been the mainstay for the girls' golf program for the past four years," Wheetley said. "She is one of the best I've had the pleasure to coach, not only as a player but as an individual."
McCurdy and Sullivan will join Eldridge as qualifiers for the Arkansas Women's Golf Association High School Overall Championship which will be played Monday at Harbor Oaks Golf Club in Pine Bluff.
The Overall is composed of the top three finishers from each classification tournament.
McCurdy, who won the Overall title last year by five strokes, will be the overwhelming favorite.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Easley Law Firm scored four times in the bottom of the fourth inning to break a tie and take a come-from-behind 10-8 win over Dr. Beasley Tuesday night in Minor League play.
Dr. Beasley led 8-6 headed into the final inning.
Easley Law got runs from John Gilbreath, Robert Lee, Devante Bobo, James Pendergrass, Matthew Horton, Bryan Hinton and Terrien Griham.
Lee and Pendergrass each hit home runs.
Nathan Standridge led Dr. Beasley with two runs while Calvin Hodges homered.
In the second game, Joey's Muffler jumped to an early 9-5 lead and then had to hold off Forrest City Lions Club 14-12.
Reco Smith led Joey's by scoring three runs while Dusty Smith homered.
Lion's Club scored six runs in the fourth inning to tie the game at 11-11.
Marcus Scott hit a home run for Lion's Club and scored twice.
Jordan Chatters, Jacob Tittle and Tim Graham each scored two runs.
* CITY LEAGUES
YOUTH BASEBALL
Minor League (Pitching Machine)
Tuesday's Scores
Easley Law 10, Dr. Beasley 8
Joey's Muffler 14, FCity Lions 12
Junior Bambino League (9-10)
Tuesday's Scores
Lucas Trucking 11, VIPS 0
Mr. T. Auto 10, Food Giant 6
Farm Credit 12, A&C Motors 11
Title Co. 12, Hill Concrete 2
GIRLS' YOUTH SOFTBALL
10-Under Slow Pitch
Tuesday's Scores
True Value 6, Title Co. 5
FCity Bank 10, So. Furniture 3
Dr. Schwartz 20, McDonald's 1
Food Giant 10, Steven's 6
Sanyo 9, Walker Insurance 0