By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Little Rock McClellan pounded out 10 hits Tuesday afternoon and took advantage of several Forrest City miscues to take a 17-12 nonconference win over the Lady Mustangs in fast-pitch softball at the Sports Complex.
Forrest City led 3-2 after one inning but that advantage didn't hold as the Lady Lions scored seven runs in the top of the second inning to forge a 9-3 cushion.
The Lady Mustangs could only plate two runs in the home portion of the second inning and did not score again until the bottom of the fifth.
By that time the Lady Lions led 14-5.
Forrest City plated five runs in the bottom of the seventh but the rally died leaving the Lady Mustangs with their second loss in three games.
Forrest City is 1-2 for the year and will host Jonesboro Thursday and then travel to Jacksonville Friday for a scheduled conference doubleheader.
Sophomore pitcher Stacey Gracey got the start for Forrest City and got into trouble early when she hit three of the first nine batters she faced while giving up two hits, two walks and striking out only two.
Offensively,Kanetra Pendleton led the way for the Lady Mustangs, scoring three runs.
The Lady Mustangs managed just five hits in the game.
*The Forrest City Mustang baseball team lost a AAAAA-East conference doubleheader to Blytheville Tuesday, dropping the varsity game 4-1 to the Chicks and losing the junior varsity game 8-3.
Blytheville is 3-1 overall for the year and 2-1 in the conference.
Forrest City will host Mt. Home Thursday.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
A scheduling mishap left the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots high and dry Tuesday.
The Patriots, who opened the 2003 season last Friday at McCrory, were supposed to host Clarendon Tuesday in a conference contest.
But P-W Coach Dan Cockrell's call to Clarendon earlier in the day, to confirm the game, didn't work out the way he had hoped.
"Basically, Clarendon said they had a conference game scheduled Tuesday against Gillett and that the date on my schedule was incorrect," Cockrell said. "We have rescheduled the game for Thursday at our place, weather permitting and if we can find umpires at such a late date."
Clyde Kennedy, who started P-W's opener last Friday at McCrory, is expected to get the start on Thursday against Clarendon.
Besides Kennedy, Cockrell has two left-handed pitchers on staff this season -- Casey Hughes and Adam Kennedy, the younger of the two brothers.
Rounding out the Patriot roster are Jonathan Wheeler, Josh Dover, Derrick Cooper, Brandon Roberts, Caleb Jackson, Antonio Leak, Andrew Morlock, Xavier Neal, Hughes and the Kennedy brothers.
Registration continues for the Forrest City Recreation Department's youth softball and baseball summer leagues.
Youth league fees are $20 for youths living inside the Forrest City city limits and $30 for those living outside the city limits.
Youths will be placed on league teams at random.
For more information contact Kenneth Taylor at (870) 633-3667 or go by Forrest City City Hall any day this week from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The Forrest City Mustang senior boys track team will participate in a practice meet scheduled for Thursday at West Memphis.
The Mustangs will be coached this season by Mike Hudson, who is beginning his third season with the team.
Also Thursday, the Forrest City golf team will open when they host Wynne at Forrest City Country Club.