By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
For the third time this season, there is a tie for first place in the men's adult softball league.
Thursday night, Gym 2000 lost to Middle Busters 9-7 and Kerby's defeated Laws Contracting 15-5 to leave both teams at 9-2 for the year. Each team has three games remaining to be played -- the third and final game against each other, which, could decide the league champion if both stay on course.
Gym and Kerby's were tied for the first four games of the season at 4-0 before Gym handed Kerby's their first loss.
The two teams were tied at 6-1 and now again at 9-2.
Lurking just a game back are the Middle Busters at 8-2.
The team, along with A&M Connection, is one game behind the rest of the league due to a double forfeit which occurred during week five. Neither team was assessed a loss in the forfeit but the "non-game" left both teams a game behind everyone else.
Gym 2000 has now lost both its games to the Middle Busters, Kerby's has been beaten by Gym 2000 and the Head Hunters, while the Middle Busters have lost both games against Kerby's.
A&M Connection, which started the year at 0-2, has rallied to climb into fourth place at 6-4.
They are the only four teams above .500 in the league.
The Middle Busters scored twice in the top of the first and then held Gym to a single run in the bottom half of the inning to lead 2-1.
They added two runs in the third to lead 4-1 and five runs in the fourth to lead 9-2 going into the fifth.
Gym pushed a run across in the fifth and scored four times in the sixth to get within two, but stranded two runners in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Forrest City Post 4 American Legion is winding down the regular season.
After playing a pair of games this week -- against Wynne Tuesday and a make-up game on Wednesday -- the team will travel to Searcy for a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
The team will host Blytheville on Tuesday, July 13.
Forrest City will compete in the upcoming district tournament, which will be played at Jonesboro, July 15-18.
In other American Legion news, Todd Ellis cracked a three-run home run in the fourth inning, and Jonesboro Fat City took a 15-11 victory over Searcy in the first round of the A American Legion baseball district tournament on Thursday.
Ellis finished with four RBIs. Dustin Simpkins hit 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Aaron Primm went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Ellis also got the win in relief, allowing four hits and two walks in the fifth and sixth innings. Primm got the save, pitching a perfect seventh inning. Starter Jonathan Cook threw four innings, allowing one walk and five hits. Cook struck out three.
Fat City plays Newport today at 4:30 in the second round of the A district tournament.
Also Thursday, the AAA Jonesboro Ricemen lost 1-0, to Searcy. Both teams played into the seventh inning, locked in a scoreless tie.
The Ricemen bounced back in the non-conference nightcap, run-ruling Crain Automotive 10-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
In the top of the seventh Searcy leadoff batter Brandon Lynch walked on four straight pitches, advanced to second on a passed ball, before Ryan Poole and Matt Dillon were retired in order.
Searcy's seventh-hole hitter Johnathan Smith ended the scoreless drought by ripping a line-drive RBI grounder past first base, scoring Lynch.
The Wynne Baseball Commission will host the 2004 version of its annual WynneBall Tournament, July 1618, at the Wynne Sports Complex.
Teams interested in signing on for the ride can do so by contacting Holly Jarrett at (870) 238-3660.
The tournament features age divisions. Those divisions and entry fees are: T-Ball $125, 8 and under $150, 10 and under $150 12 and under $150 14 and under $150.
Deadline to enter the WynneBall field is Monday, July 12. Cal-Ripkin Rules will be in effect during the tournament.
Also coming up, the Marion Youth Sports Association will host Marion Mayhem, beginning Friday, July 23 and running through July 25.
Interested teams can contact James Wilson at 870-739-1346.
The baseball tournament is open for ages T-Ball, coach-pitch, kid-pitch through 12 years of age.
Entry fee per team is $200 with a minimum guarantee of playing three games.
There is a limited amount of space available and each age division is being limited to eight teams.
And if that isn't enough baseball opportunity, there's always the Last Summer/First Fall or Who Care's Tournament being sponsored by the Cabot Youth Baseball Association.
The two-day tournament will be played Friday and Saturday, Aug. 20-21, at Cabot.
Teams interested in playing some late summer baseball can contact John Simmons at 501-843-5022.
Age divisions include 6-under through 15-under with a three-game guarantee and limited space in each bracket.
Team entry fees are $100.
And don't forget about the upcoming Junior Babe Ruth 13-year-old State Tournament, which begins Friday, July 9, at the Forrest City Sports Complex.
The Sports Complex will also host the adult men and women's slow pitch district softball tournaments, July 17-18.
There are 17 teams in the men's tournament, which will start Saturday, July 17, at 8:30 a.m.
Seven of the 17-teams will represent Forrest City, including the top three teams in the league -- Gym 2000, Kerby's and the Middle Busters.
The district winner advances to either the Class D or E state tournament.
In the women's bracket, seven team's will play beginning Saturday, July 17.
Three of the seven teams will represent Forrest City.