By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
DES ARC --They were the best in their conference and now they are the best in their district.
Now the Gillett Lady Wolves have the opportunity to be the best in their region. What lies beyond that is anybody's guess.
The Lady Wolves took home the 2AA-South District Tournament title Tuesday by taking down the Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots 12-3 in the championship game played at Millennium Field in Des Arc.
The Lady Wolves were awarded a forfeit win over Clarendon to start the day and then defeated Carlisle 3-0 in the semifinals.
Palestine-Wheatley opened the tournament with an impressive 12-0 shut out win over Des Arc and then survived a wild semifinal affair against Hazen, finally winning 15-14, to advance to the title game.
In the only regular-season conference game between Gillett and Palestine-Wheatley, played last week at Gillett, the Lady Wolves made it look easy taking a 14-0 win over the Lady Patriots.
Tuesday wasn't quite as easy, but it was just as effective.
Gillett scored four runs in the bottom of the third and plated five more in the bottom of he fourth to take a commanding 10-1 lead over P-W, finishing with the 12-3 victory and the No. 1 seed into the Class AA Region 4 Tournament, which starts Saturday at Walnut Ridge.
Gillett, 12-1, faces No. 4 seed Marmaduke at 12 noon while the Lady Patriots, 10-4, will draw No. 3 seeded Walnut Ridge at 5:15 Saturday.
The top two teams from the regional will advance to the Class AA State Tournament, which starts May 2, at ICC in Brockwell.
A year ago, the Lady Patriots were eliminated in the first round of the Region 6 Tournament at North Little Rock, losing to Guy-Perkins 5-4.
Gillett defeated Arkansas Baptist and Guy-Perkins to get to the regional finals, where they lost to Woodlawn. The Lady Wolves went on to reach the semifinals of the Class A-AA state, losing to eventual state champs, Benton-Harmony Grove.
At Des Arc Tuesday, the Lady Patriots drew first blood against Gillett in the top of the second when Natalie Halbert walked and scored on an RBI double off the left field wall by Fallon Parker for a 1-0 lead. Gillett tied the game in the bottom of the inning when junior pitcher Jona Howell singled to lead off the inning and one out later scored to tie the game at 1-1.
After a 1-2-3 P-W third, Gillett plated four runs on two hits, a bunt and two Palestine-Wheatley errors to build a 5-1 lead.
The Lady Pats stranded Beth Varvil in the top of the fourth after she used a Gillett error to get on base. The Lady Wolves responded with five more runs using three singles, a two-RBI double and an infield bunt to push their lead to 10-1.
Parker and Libby Martin scored single runs each in the fifth as P-W cut the lead to 10-3. Parker reached on an error and scored on Martin's RBI base hit. Two outs later, Martin scored when Andrea Cooper's line drive to third was mishandled.
Gillett added single runs in the fifth and sixth to set the final.
Jill Briggs, Jamie Craddock, Stephanie Hackney, Naomi Slater and Elaine Norris each scored two runs each for Gillett while Howell and Kristen Hill each added single runs.
Palestine-Wheatley got runs from Parker, Martin and Halbert, scoring the three runs on four hits and leaving nine base runners stranded. The Lady Patriots committed 10 errors in the game.
Howell, who pitched the complete semifinal game against Carlisle, took the win while Martin took the loss for the Lady Patriots.
"I wasn't surprised at all that Palestine-Wheatley hit the ball hard against us," said Gillett Coach Jon Howell. "We knew they would be a good test for us."
*It was a good time to be the home team.
P-W's Lady Patriots survived a wild seventh inning in which the two game officials reversed themselves not once, but twice after making initial calls, both times leaving the Lady Patriots on the wrong side of the decision.
The Lady Patriots broke an 8-8 tie in the bottom of the sixth by scoring three times to take an 11-8 lead into the seventh.
Needing only three outs for the win, Palestine-Wheatley instead watched their lead evaporate as Hazen plated six runs in the top of the inning to lead 14-11 going into the bottom of the seventh.
P-W retired the first two Hazen hitters in the seventh but then gave up an infield hit and a stolen base, back-to-back RBI singles, an error, a sacrifice groundout and another single all before the home plate umpire overruled a call at first base made by the field umpire -- following a lengthy discussion with the Hazen coaching staff.
The initial ruling gave P-W the last out at first. That out was taken away on the reversal and Hazen scored two more runs before the Lady Patriots finally got the final out.
In the home half of the inning, P-W loaded the bases with two out, trailing 14-12 after Kara Siler scored. Brittney Gordon's two-RBI double brought in the tying run to knot the game at 14-14 and Parker's game-winning RBI single scored Halbert for the win.
Hazen scored their 14 runs on nine hits while Palestine-Wheatley got their 15 runs on 14 hits and took advantage of eight walks. The Lady Patriots committed seven errors and left 10 runners on base.
Beth Varvil led the way scoring three runs on a 3-for-5 night at the plate while Martin, Siler, Jenny Loewer, Lauren Dover and Gordon scored two runs each. Halbert and Cooper added single runs.
The kids played hard," said P-W Coach Lanny Allen. "They really wanted a win over Hazen."
The Lady Patriots advanced to the semifinal game against Hazen by taking a 12-0 win over Des Arc in which Parker, Loewer and Varvil and Siler scored two runs each and Halbert and Martin added single runs. Martin had three of P-W' s six hits.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
LITTLE ROCK -- The long road trip to Little Rock payed off for the Forrest City Lady Mustangs Tuesday.
After completing the conference portion of the season schedule Monday at Cabot, the Lady Mustangs improved to 8-21 with a 10-7 win over Little Rock McClellan in a nonconference varsity game Tuesday.
Kanetra Pendleton, Holly Simon, and Angela Williams led the way for Forrest City, scoring two runs each. Alicia Kennedy, Jessica Long, Tyeshia McDaniel and Stacey Gracey plated single runs.
Gracey, the Lady Mustangs' starting pitcher, picked up the win. Gracey allowed only six hits and struck out eight.
The Lady Mustangs led 5-1 after two innings and pushed their lead to 8-1 after three.
Forrest City will play at Wynne Thursday.
*The Wynne Lady Yellowjackets secured a spot in the state tournament with a sweep of Marion in AAAA-East fast-pitch softball action.
Wynne won the opener 1-0 and the second game 6-2.
Jessica Stepp and Jodi Stepp led the way in the first game.
Jessica Stepp pitched all seven innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out 13 batters. She worked her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning by striking out two batters to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the seventh inning, Amber Carter reached on a one-out triple and scored when Jodi Stepp poked a game-winning single to right field.
Carter and Jodi Stepp each had two hits.
Steppe was the winning pitcher in the nightcap, fanning four and allowing four hits.
Ali Imboden and Quinita Harris had three hits apiece, Nicole Johnson had two hits and a triple and Jena Gracey added a triple and two RBIs.
*Vilonia booted defending Class AAAA state champion Nettleton out of the top spot in the AAAA-East conference with a doubleheader sweep in high school softball Tuesday.
Vilonia (10-4 in the AAAA-East) whipped Nettleton 9-1 in the opener, then rallied for a 6-5 victory in nine innings in the nightcap.
*Rector and Bay both took convincing wins Tuesday to advance to the finals of the 3AA-North district softball tournament.
The host Lady Cougars (8-2) took a 15-5 win over Marmaduke in three innings and Bay beat Walnut Ridge 15-5 in six innings to advance.
Rector and Bay will play the championship game today.
JONESBORO -- The Jonesboro Hurricane picked up its 20th win of the year and improved to 11-1 in the AAAAA-East conference Tuesday with a 13-3 rout over Forrest City in high school baseball at Woodland Field.
Andy Bettis was 2-for-4 with four runs batted in, including a three-run home run in the Hurricane's seven-run second inning.
Matt Byrd had three hits, while Derrick Coleman, Will Hollis, Hunter Smith and Jimmy Tollison each had two hits for JHS (20-6). Byrd, Coleman, Smith and Tollison each had an RBI.
Trevor Kreis (8-0) allowed three hits and three runs (one earned) with four strikeouts in three innings to gain the win.
Jack McGrath hurled two innings of hitless relief, striking out four.
Forrest City will host Searcy Thursday and will finish the year Tuesday against Cabot.
Jonesboro heads to Mountain Home Friday for a conference championship showdown. Both teams are 11-1 in the league heading into the finale.
The Mustangs are 1-15 overall and 0-11 in the conference.
*Bay's Davey Webb recorded 13 strikeouts Tuesday to give the Yellowjackets an 8-5 win over Marked Tree in the finals of the 3AA-South district tournament.
Webb picked up the pitching win after allowing four earned runs on eight hits and a walk in seven innings of work.
Brett Hogan led the Yellowjackets (17-9) at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three doubles and four RBIs.
Braden Malone had two hits for Marked Tree and Brandon Gillis was the losing pitcher.
In the consolation game, Cross County had 23 hits and scored five runs in the top of the seventh to take a 15-9 win over Riverside.
*Melbourne and Calico Rock each advanced to the finals of the 2AA-North district baseball tournament Tuesday with wins over Salem and Sloan-Hendrix.
Melbourne topped Salem 10-7 behind Andrew Treat's 5-for-5 performance and three RBIs. Calico Rock beat Sloan-Hendrix 11-8.
The two teams will meet today at 4 p.m., in the championship game.
*Delaplaine and Biggers-Reyno both advanced to the finals of the 3A district baseball tournament Tuesday.
Delaplaine topped River Valley 8-7 and Biggers-Reyno beat Lynn 8-4.
The two will meet today in the championship game.
JONESBORO -- Jonesboro's "Russian Rocket" was a little too much for the 'Turrell Rocket' at the Lady Hurricane Relays Tuesday.
Katya Kostetskaya won four events, edging Turrell's Amber Bledsoe for the high-point trophy and in the long jump, to lead Jonesboro to an easy victory in the team race.
The Lady Hurricane scored 1591/2 points to almost double second-place Cabot's 801/2 points.
In the junior high division, Annie Camp won 13 of 14 events en route to its 10th straight Lady Hurricane title.
The Lady Whirlwinds rolled up 199 points, compared to just 64 for second-place West Memphis West.
The Forrest City Lady Mustangs didn't place in the 12-team senior girls' field and didn't finish higher than fourth in any of the events they ran.
Jessica Perkins finished fifth in the 100-meter run and fourth in the 200-meter run while Melissa Humphrey was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, despite the fact she ran her best time of the year, an 18.48 in the event.
Lakeda Doolittle ran fifth in the mile and the Lady Mustang 400-meter relay team ran fifth.
Kostetskaya, a sophomore from St. Petersburg, Russia, cruised to victories in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, along with the 800.
Competing in the long jump for the first time this season, she also won the event with a leap of 18 feet, 3 inches.
Bledsoe, an Ole Miss track signee, won three events, taking the 100, 200 and 400 meters, but she fell just short in the long jump, finishing second.
Kostetskaya scored 40 points, Bledsoe had 38.
The JHS sophomore eclipsed the Class AAAAA state qualifying standard in all four events.
Two weeks ago, she bettered Antisha Anderson's overall state record in the 300 hurdles by .05, but state records can only be set in state meets or the Meet of Champions.
Bledsoe, the three-time Class AA state champion in the 100, 200 and the long jump, faltered out of the blocks in the 100, but roared back to finish in a time of 12.28. She also easily won the 200 in a time of 25.24 and took the 400 in 59.80.
Bledsoe easily topped the AA state qualifying standard in all four events. Her time in the 100 was better than her 12.32 when she won the event at last year's Meet of Champions.
Allison Taylor won the shot put (36-6), leading a 1-2-3 JHS finish. Karess Winston was second, followed by Tiffany Barker.
Baker also uncorked a personal-best throw of 102-6 in the discus, followed by Taylor second at 101-0.
Jonesboro's Katie Stripling also tied for first in the high jump with a clearance of 5-0.
In addition, Wynne's 400-meter relay team won that event and eclipsed the Class AAAA state qualifying mark.
The quartet of Latoya Hare, Sabreem Aleem, Latricia Marrs and Chiquita Holmes ran a 50.83, slightly better than the qualifying mark of 51.00.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
BLYTHEVILLE -- The Forrest City Mustang golf team made it two wins in a row Tuesday.
And they did it on a visiting course, the likes of which they don't see very often.
Playing at Blytheville in AAAAA-East Conference action, Forrest City got their first look at the new Thunder Bayou course, "a true links course," according to Mustang Coach Tommy Wheetley.
"The course has virtually no trees but has plenty of sand, roughs and a lot of water," Wheetley added. "It makes you work harder and it makes you concentrate more. It also makes you use almost every club in the bag."
Led by Sawyer Ramsey's 42, the Mustangs held off Blytheville 179-to-183 to get the win.
Ramsey missed medalist honors by a single stroke. Blytheville's Max Gurley shot a 41 to earn the title.
Josh Coleman finished with a 43, Brian Hacker carded a 46 and Jake Wade had a 48. John Scott Carroll finished with a 59.
In the junior varsity match, Doug Drake finished with a 58 and T.J. Drake carded a 65.
Forrest City plays at Cabot Thursday.
"It's a conference match, but we will also use it as a practice for the conference tournament," Wheetley said
*Nettleton shot a combined 171 Tuesday at Meadowbrook Country Club to take a four-stroke win over West Memphis in high school golf action.
West Memphis' Jordan Payne was medalist with a 37.
Jordan Bennett of Nettleton was close behind with a 39. Brandon Kelly shot a 42, Marcus Whybrew finished in 44 strokes and Jeremy Luther shot a 46.