By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
And then there were two.
Gym 2000 and Kerby's emerged from Thursday's round of adult men's softball games as the only two remaining unbeaten teams.
Neither team was challenged.
Gym 2000 easily defeated previously unbeaten Wal-Mart 19-4 while Kerby's scored an easy 24-5 win over the Head Hunters.
Both Gym and Kerby's are 4-0 for the year and will meet next Thursday in a head-to-head battle.
Gym led 6-1 after one inning and pushed that lead to 11-4 after two innings.
Kerby's scored two runs in the top of the first inning and then exploded for seven runs in the second and 11 runs in the fourth to put the game away.
In other men's action Thursday, it was the Middle Busters taking a 17-15 win over Food Giant and improving to 3-1 for the year.
A&M Connection evened their season mark at 2-2 by holding off Laws Contracting 10-6.
*Chism stayed unbeaten in the adult women's softball league Thursday by taking a 14-3 win over Wal-Mart and the Dynamic Lady Divas pounded the Ladies AllStars 22-4.
Cochran Auto used a complete game pitching effort by Chandler Sorrels, who helped his own cause by scoring three runs in a 12-1 win over Derrick CPA Thursday in the Bambino 11-12 League.
Sorrels walked, singled and launched a two-run home run in the game. LaLoyd Hamilton and Lloyd Smith scored two runs each for Cochran.
Cochran improves to 4-3 for the year.
Derrick CPA used two pitchers, Lance Hughes who worked two innings and Chris Chism who finished out the game.
T.J. McFadden singled and scored Derrick's lone run in the third inning.
Lucas Trucking made it look almost too easy as they strolled past Mr. T Auto 23-4 on their way to keeping their season perfect at 7-0.
Bruce Heard and Louis Driver led the Lucas scoring parade by scoring four runs each. Jim Bailey, Dominique Madden and Driver handled the pitching duties while Bailey scored three times.
The trio of Lucas pitchers allowed only one hit by Mr. T Auto, a first inning single by Terry Matthews who also scored. Dominique Smith, Arthur Franks and Tim Quinn each scored single runs for Mr. T.
Robert's Welding took an 8-6 win over Houser in the final Bambino 11-12 League game of the night.
Roberts stays in second place in the league behind Lucas, at 5-2.
Will Whittenton and Jeffrey Siler plated two runs each to lead Houser while RoRo Steverson and Charles Anderson Scored two runs each for Robert's.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Taylor Glass held onto the Junior Babe Ruth League Thursday by scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth inning to put away Rotary Club 8-7.
Rotary led 7-6 going into the decisive inning.
Rotary opened a 5-0 lead before Taylor rallied for five runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 5-5.
Taylor took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth before Rotary plated two runs in the top of the fifth.
Taylor Glass improves to 5-1 for the year.
Findley Scott Laws and Barrett Beshears combined for the Taylor Glass pitching duties while Rotary used A.J. Moody and Daniel Richards.
Laws and Beshears held Rotary to the seven runs on 12 hits.
Rotary got single runs from Moody, D.J. Downing, Darius Coleman, Josh McKinney, Richards and Justin Gadberry.
Machen Ford kept pace and improved to 3-1 for the year by slipping past Cochran Auto 7-6 Thursday.
Chance Pearson worked four innings before giving way to Kellan Bowman who finished out for Machen.
Cochran led 4-2 after one inning but did not score again until the top of the sixth.
Meanwhile, Machen tied the game at 4-4 by scoring twice in the fourth inning and took the win by rallying for three runs in the bottom of the sixth after falling behind 6-4.
Mark Machen and Bowman each scored two runs for Machen while Pearson, Ryan Thompson and Timmie Mason added single runs.
Cochran got single runs from Justin Cochran, Kenny Norman, Torre Hunter, Brandon Barnett, Demario Peters and Lee Smith.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Vaccaro continued its winning streak Thursday by holding off Twillies Tigers 9-8 in Minor (pitching machine) League at the Sports Complex.
Vaccaro scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to lead 9-5 and then had to hold off the Tigers in the bottom half of the inning after Twillies scored three runs.
It was the fourth consecutive victory for Vaccaro.
Jared Haynie and Trey Colvin scored twice to lead Vaccaro while Anthony Jenkins and Dwain Whitfield led the Tigers by scoring twice.
Vaccaro improves to 6-1 For the year and stays in third place in the league while the Tigers fall to 2-6.
In the first game of the night, Easley stayed unbeaten and in control of the league standings by taking a big 20-4 win over Food Giant.
Larren Freeman, Seth Parker, Tanner Hess, Weston Hess and Damond Watson each scored three runs to lead Easley.
Tyler Duff and Colton Hodges scored two runs each for Food Giant.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The field for the 2004 Rumble on the Ridge Thanksgiving Tournament was announced Thursday by tournament director Bill Baxter.
The eight-team field includes three Louisiana teams, two Arkansas teams and one team each from Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee.
For the eighth straight year, the Forrest City Mustangs will host the tournament which will be played Nov. 25, 26 and 27, at Mustang Arena.
Class AA Buffalo Island Central is the other Arkansas school involved in this year's mix.
Returning for a second straight year will be Denham Springs, La. last year's runner-up.
Denham Springs, who returns 6-7 senior forward Tasmin Mitchell, lost to Little Rock's Pulaski Academy 50-48 in the 2003 championship game.
Making first time appearances at the Rumble will be Poplar Bluff, Mo., with the nation's No. 2 ranked power forward; Lanier High School from Jackson, Miss. led by 6-2 point guard Monty Ellis; Richwood High School from Monroe, La.; Reserve Christian from Reserve, La. and Bolivar, Tenn., the defending state champions.
As in past years, the Rumble will follow the same three-day format and will kickoff the Thanksgiving weekend with a dinner for the teams and Rumble volunteers on Wednesday, Nov. 24, followed by the three-point shoot out and slam dunk competition at Mustang Arena.
Baxter also unveiled the list of inductees for the 2004 Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame.
Each year, the Hall of Fame honors athletes representing three different eras -- Lincoln High School, Forrest City High School before 1970 and after 1970.
This year's Lincoln honorees include Cato Brooks, Ray Black and Thurman Vanzant, who will be honored posthumously.
Forrest City inductees before 1970 include John Childress, Ed Henderson and former Hendrix University Coach Cliff Garrison.
Forrest City inductees after 1970 include Verlon Brown, Baxter and the four members of the 1977 Forrest City Mustang one-mile relay team which established a state record and were ranked seventh in the state at the time -- Pat Mitchell, Michael Gray, Terry Brown and Clifton Blanchett.
Brown will be honored posthumously.
The 2004 Hall of Fame induction banquet will be held Friday, Oct. 1.
The new Hall of Fame members will be introduced at halftime of the Forrest City-Searcy AAAAA-East Conference football game at Sam Smith Stadium.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
In a game that lived up to its pregame billing, Bonanza edged Pizza Inn 3-2 in 16-under girls fast pitch softball.
Bonanza scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to break a 1-1 tie and then held Pizza Inn to a single run in the top of the fourth to secure the win.
Bonanza improves to 6-0 for the year and moves into sole possession of first place in the league standings.
Pizza Inn slips to 5-1 and into second place.
Pizza Inn took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Akilah Norman singled and scored.
After a leadoff single by Leigh Anna Taylor, Bonanza went down in order in the bottom half of the first.
Bonanza pitcher Stacey Gracey struck out the Pizza Inn side in the top of the second and Randal Ross tied the game at 1-1 when she scored on a passed ball with Taylor at the plate. Bonanza missed an opportunity to break the tie when Gracey popped up for the third out leaving the bases loaded.
In the Bonanza third, Amber Hart singled after Pizza Inn changed pitchers and was wild pitched to second and third.
Hannah McMahand walked and Ross struck out but reached on the errant throw by Pizza Inn catcher Shari Rogers and ended up at third base on the overthrow with no outs. Hart and McMahand both scored on the three base error to put Bonanza in front 3-1.
A double play and a strikeout helped Pizza Inn get out of the inning without further damage.
Pizza Inn cut the lead to 3-2 when Chari Agnew lined a long single to short center field and went to second on a passed ball.
Agnew scored on a throwing error by Taylor to third base, which rolled into left field.
Gracey was the winning pitcher while Ashley Boswell and Erin Marlowe combined for Pizza Inn. Boswell pitched into the bottom of the third before giving way to Marlowe.
In other 16-under play, the Dixie Chix defeated Times-Herald 9-2 by scoring four times in the top of the first inning.
Bethany Williams scored twice for Dixie Chix while Kayla Ballard, Danielle McKnight, Savannah Ferguson, Sarah Bryant, Amanda Ramsey and Kiera Jones added single runs.
Brittney Duckworth and Cassandra Jackson scored single runs for Times-Herald.
Clay Funeral Home scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a come-from-behind 9-8 win over Dr. St. John.
JONESBORO -- Collierville, Tenn, scored four runs in the sixth inning to erase a 3-1 Forrest City lead to down Post 4 5-3 in pool play at the Creative Edge Classic American Legion tournament being played in Jonesboro.
The tournament enters its second day of competition today.
Forrest City will take on Jonesboro Coca Cola at 4;45 p.m., at the Arkansas State University's Tomlinson Stadium.
In other games played Thursday, Willard, Mo., rallied from a six-run deficit, slapping seven of its 15 hits during a seven-run fifth inning, then scored three times in the top of the seventh to outlast Fat City 15-13 in a see-saw affair Thursday on the opening day of the Legion Classic at Arkansas State's Tomlinson Stadium.
In other action Thursday, the Jonesboro J-Dogs, a USSSA 14-year-old team, scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning to steal a 3-2 victory over Jefferson City, Mo., in pool 3 action.
In pool 1 play, Pine Bluff AA topped Searcy AA 7-3 and Wynne AA topped Trumann AA 6-1.
South Pemiscot, Mo., used a 10-run third inning to whip West Plains, Mo., 17-2 in pool 2 action.
In the other pool 3 game, Wynne edged Paragould 2-1.
Poplar Bluff, Mo., fought off Blytheville's three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to hold on for a 5-4 victory in pool 4 action while Mountain Home powered past Searcy 14-6 in pool 5 play.
Trailing 6-0, Willard scored four times in the fourth before Fat City extended its lead to 9-4 with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
But no lead was safe as Willard ripped the ball, sending 12 batters to the plate to take an 11-9 lead.
Fat City (5-4) twice rallied to tie the game but Collin Edwards led off the seventh for Willard with a double down the left-field line to spark the three-run inning against reliever Martin Greenwood.
Cody Powell, the third Fat City pitcher, took over for Greenwood and pinch-runner Tyler Rogers moved around to third on a balk and a groundout.
With one out, Bryce Downing smacked an RBI single to left to make it 14-12 and Willard added an insurance run when Downing scored on a wild pitch after Colt Johnson's double moved him to third.
The Swamp Cats, who scored in each of the last six innings, mounted another rally in their final at bat before coming up just short.
Eddie Price reached on an error and took second on the throw and pinch-runner Aaron Primm moved to third on a groundout. Primm raced home on a wild pitch but reliever Casey Stoudt struck out Martin Greenwood for the second out.
The tournament continues today through Sunday with action at both Nettleton and ASU. The pool winners and wild cards play Sunday with the semifinals and final to follow.
Delta Breeze stayed unbeaten in the 12-under fast pitch softball league by scoring a 9-3 win over Food Giant.
Delta plated five runs in the top of the second inning for the win and improves to 5-0 for the year.
Andrea Hall scored twice for Delta Breeze as did Kailey Brimhall and Murray Lace.
Crowley's Ridge got three runs from Samiko Grady and two runs each from LaQuishaMoore, Raven Harrell and Shanice Robinson in a 14-5 win over Giffin's Grins Thursday.