By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
MARION -- The Forrest City 12-year-old All Stars are still in the state tournament mix.
The Forrest City Travelers opened played today at the USSSA 10-year-old World Series at Southaven, Miss.
The Forrest City Minor League All-Stars played two games and were eliminated at the Cal Ripken Pitching Machine State Tournament at Sylvan Hills.
The Forrest City 11s used a dramatic win in their last at-bat Sunday to stay alive at the 11-year-old state tournament and as of press time, there was no word on the Forrest City 13-year-old all-star team.
The 13s are involved in the state tournament at Monticello.
At Marion Friday, the Forrest City 12s fell into the loser's bracket right from the start, suffering a 19-7 opening game loss to Little Rock Junior Deputy.
The team returned on Saturday to eliminate Marion 10-1 and then ousted Camden 5-1 Sunday.
The 12s will play at 5:15 p.m., today against the Hamburg-Sheridan loser.
Hamburg and Sheridan met in a winner's quarterfinal game Sunday night.
A Forrest City win today would bring the team back on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The tournament runs through Wednesday.
Little Rock Junior Deputy opened a quick 4-0 lead over the FCity 12s Friday in the top of he first inning and pushed their lead to 12-1 before Forrest City scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 12-5.
Junior Deputy answered with a seven-run, sixth inning to put the game away.
Against Marion on Saturday, Findley Scott Laws and Chance Pearson each scored twice to help push the 12s to a 10-1 win.
Barrett Beshears and Mark Machen combined for the Forrest City pitching duties, holding Marion to one run on just two hits.
Seth Smith and Pearson teamed up to pitch Forrest City past Camden on Sunday, giving up one run on five hits.
Forrest City led 1-0 after Smith led off with a bunt single and scored.
Camden tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth and Forrest City plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth to post the victory.
Bruce Heard's RBI triple with two runners on in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifted the Forrest City 11s to a 9-8 win over El Dorado Sunday at Maumelle.
The game was tied at 8-8 headed into the last inning.
The 11s opened state play Friday with a 5-2 win over Russellville before falling Sylvan Hills 11-6 on Saturday.
On Sunday, the 11s used the 9-8 win over El Dorado to propel them into the next game against DeWitt, also a 9-8 win for Forrest City.
The team is scheduled to play Camden today at 3 p.m. A win brings the team back at 7 p.m.
Four teams from the 34-team state bracket will advance to the regional tournament.
The Forrest City 11s are being coached by Jim Bailey and Steve Roberts.
The Forrest City Travelers, being coached by Rusty Trail and Scott Deere, will start pool play today in the 90-plus team, USSSA World Series when they take on the Houston Warriors at 3:15 p.m.
On Tuesday, the FCity team will play twice to finish out their pool play -- first at 8:30 a.m., when they face Blue Springs and again at 5:30 p.m., when they take on the Louisville Lightning.
*At Paragould, Jonesboro advanced to the finals of the 9-year-old Cal Ripken state baseball tournament by edging Johnson County 7-6 Sunday.
Jonesboro faces the Johnson County-Springdale winner in the championship tonight at 7.
At Van Buren, Jonesboro dropped a 4-3 decision to Siloam Springs to fall in the losers' bracket, but bounced back to beat Alma 13-1 Saturday in the 8-year-old Cal Ripken state baseball tournament.
And at Manila, Jonesboro blanked Waldron 13-0 and shut out Mountain Home 10-0 Sunday to stay alive in the 10-year-old Cal Ripken state baseball tournament.
Jonesboro advances to today's losers' bracket final, where it will play Batesville at 5 p.m. The winner takes on Rogers at 7. An "if necessary" game would follow on Tuesday at 1 p.m.