By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
For the second time in five days, Stevens pushed one of the league leaders in the 10-under slow pitch softball league to the brink before falling short.
Tuesday night, Stevens took undefeated Walker Insurance to the limit before falling 9-8 in the last inning.
Friday night Forrest City Bank, leaders of the American Division, had to score three times in the bottom of the third inning to hold off Stevens 9-8.
Stevens used three runs in the first inning, four in the second and one in the top of the third to lead 8-6 headed into the bottom of the third inning.
Forrest City Bank was able to plate Julia Glasper, Callie Robichaud and Kristen Heard to win the game and improve to 8-1 for the year which keeps them in first place in the league's American Division standings.
Stevens, 4-5, for the year, got two runs each from Mollie Laws, Ashley Blaylock and Kaitlyn Peterson.
Walker Insurance, meanwhile, got an unexpected night off when B&E Tire could not field enough players giving Walker the forfeit win, which keeps the team unbeaten for the year at 9-0, and in sole possession of the first place in the National Division standings.
Meanwhile, Walker Insurance got an unexpected night off when B&E Tires failed to field enough players for the scheduled game.
Walker was awarded the forfeit win which pushes the team to 9-0 in the National Division.
Sanyo improved to 4-5 for the year Friday by defeating Children's Clinic 10-4. Sanyo has won three of its last five games.
Rodshanik Brown, Courtney Hodges, Kirbi Stotts and Ahsaki Ivory all scored two runs to lead Sanyo, which took advantage of 11 walks given up by Children's pitching.
Melanie Haynie, Tecoria Hicks, Gambia Mosby and Stephanie Baskins each scored single runs to lead Children's Clinic.
Southern Furniture improved to 6-3 for the year which keeps the team in second place in the National Divivison with a 13-3 win over Food Giant Friday night.
Food Giant slips to 5-3 for the year but remains in second place in the American Division standings.
Haley Morris and Brandi Morgan scored three runs each to lead Southern. Morris hit two home runs in the game while Brandi and Whitney Morgan each hit one home run. Food Giant scored three times in the first inning to take the early lead but Southern answered with a five-run second inning.
Dr. Schwartz was awarded a forfeit win over the True Value team Friday. True Value has folded as a team and some of the players have been assigned to other 10-under teams.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Leslie Construction got big production from the upper half of its lineup Friday night to post a convincing 15-3 win over Joey's Muffler in Bambino 9-10 League play.
Nathan Standridge, James Pendergrass and John Gilbreath each scored three runs as Leslie pushed their season record to 8-1, tops in the league.
First National Bank remained in second place behind Leslie with a 19-0 win over Pearson Insurance.
It was the fourth straight win for First National Bank which now sits at 6-2 for the year.
Zane Walton scored four times to lead FNB while Michael Ludwig, Kye Tillman, Jordan Chatters and Mercedes Smith added three runs each.
Taco Bell ended a five-game losing streak Friday by handing Giffin's Grins a 24-10 setback.
Taco Bell, 2-6, used four runs each by Maurice Bradley and Otis Brown while Xavier Clark, Ladarius Hollis, Elbert Hamilton and Cody Rice scored three runs each. Robert Lee homered for Taco Bell.
Kyiler King homered for Giffin's while Jalon Ford and LaDarius Stewart scored two runs each.
Melvin Taylor and Benjamin Hollowell also added runs.
Food Giant held off Sanyo 15-8 Friday which left both teams at 6-3 for the year and in a tie for third place in the league standings.
Sanyo got runs from James Alldridge, Jerrod Wright, Barlow Herbert, Matt Jumper, Austin Kennedy and Hunter Bowman.
Brian Morgan homered and scored three runs to lead Food Giant. Cameron Smith and Cameron Weeks each scored twice as did Jalon Britton and Malik Avant.
Food Giant has now won three straight games.
Easley Law ended Vaccaro's four-game win streak Friday with a 10-2 win in the Minor (pitching machine) League.
Vaccaro slips to 6-2 for the year and both losses have come against undefeated Easley, which now stands at 9-0.
Easley led 4-0 before Vaccaro cut that lead in half with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Easley sent nine hitters to the plate in the top of the fifth to score six runs for a 10-2 lead.
Vaccaro went down in order in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.
Vaccaro scored the two runs using only six base runners and six hits.
Once again, it was Tavian Banks, Larren Freeman and Seth Parker paving the way for Easley by scoring two runs each.
Parker hit a home run in the six-run, fifth inning.
Vaccaro got runs from Ethan Adams and Tyler Wilson.
In the other scheduled Minor League game, Twillies Tigers was awarded a forfeit win over Food Giant, which has officially folded for the season.
Food Giant players Jay Rice, Joseph Woods and Colton Hodges have been added to the Hartman Diesel roster while Calvin Ray and Brandon McNutt have been placed on the Twillies Tigers team.
Play continues tonight for the pitching machine league with games at 6 and 7;30 p.m. on field 7.
JONESBORO -- Despite high scoring semifinal games for Wynne AA and McGehee, the Creative Edge Classic's championship game Sunday night at Arkansas State's Tomlinson Stadium between the two was littered with goose eggs.
With two out in the fifth inning, Tyler Boeckman cracked an RBI single, and Kory Ward followed two batters later for with an RBI double, as Wynne (10-3) used four straight hits for a 2-0 victory and the tournament title.
Wynne knocked off Poplar Bluff with an 11-1 victory in five innings in one semifinal while McGehee cruised past St. Peters 15-0 in three innings to get to the championship game.
Forrest City Post 4 finished 1-2 in pool play and failed to advance to Sunday's championship round of games.
Post 4 lost to Collierville, Tenn., 5-3 on Thursday but returned Friday afternoon to take down South Pemiscot, Mo., 6-1.
Forrest City ended pool play n Saturday, losing to West Plains, Mo. 8-5.
The Forrest City team will host Brinkley Tuesday for a scheduled doubleheader at the Sports Complex.
Holland was Wynne's only multiple hitter, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Jesse Whittemore went 1-for-2, while Boeckman and Ward posted 1-for-3 performances.
Robert Huddleston (2-1) tossed five shoutout innings for the victory, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out three batters. Holland grabbed the save, giving up one hit and striking out one in two innings of relief work.
Alex Smith took the loss for McGehee, allowing two runs on seven hits and just two walks in five innings of work. Smith also struck out three batters.
McGehee had six batters post 1-for-3 performance. Mattie Johnson and Mark Crievar were the only runners to get past first, with Crievar going to second and Johnson reaching third.
*Wynne AA showed Poplar Bluff no mercy, scoring eight runs in the first inning of it's 11-1 semifinal victory at Tomlinson Stadium.
Weindel scored twice in the inning, and also hit a two-run double to score Neisler and Huddleston. Boeckman, Cody Epps, Neisler and Holland each cracked RBIs.
After a 1-2-3 second inning, Huddelston's sacrifice fly in the third sent Whittemore home for a 9-1 lead. Weindel followed with an RBI-single to score Neisler, and Boeckman later followed with an RBI groundout.
Poplar Bluff's only run came in the third inning on an RBI-single from Seth Blackwell to score Luke Storey.
*Paragould's Tyler Smith scattered five hits and allowed just one unearned run as Paragould RC eliminated the J-Dogs 8-1 Saturday in the final day of pool play in the Creative Edge American Legion Classic at Nettleton's Raider Field.
Nate Currier tossed a complete-game four-hitter as Wynne AA topped Searcy AA 9-1 to win pool 1. Collierville, Tenn., finished unbeaten to win pool 2 while Jefferson City, Mo., took the lead for good with two runs in the third inning on Bobby Reinkemeyer's two-run double to top Wynne A 4-2 and win pool 3.
Willard, Mo., beat Blytheville 3-2 to finish unbeaten and win pool 4 while McGehee finished pool play 3-0 after a 10-2 victory over Searcy to win pool 5.
Fat City finished 0-3 in the tournament, dropping a 7-0 decision to Poplar Bluff, Mo., Saturday night.
*In other games held Friday at Tomlinson Stadium, Jefferson City (Mo.) held Paragould to just two hits in a 2-0 victory, Wynne's AA squad survived a four-run seventh inning from Pine Bluff AA en route to a 6-4 win, and Forrest City's AA squad bounced South Pemiscot (Mo.) 6-1.
Meanwhile at Nettleton High School, Searcy AA was able to hold off a late charge from Trumann AA for a 7-5 win, while McGehee was relentless in a 16-0 shutout over Mountain Home and a 9-6 victory over St. Peters. St. Peters exacted a bit of revenge in the nightcap, however, swatting Searcy 9-3.
Closing out the second day of pool play were a pair of games at Woodland Field, with Willard (Mo.) edging Poplar Bluff (Mo.) 8-7 and Collierville (Tenn.) sprinting past West Plains (Mo.) 13-5.
Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt and athletic director Frank Broyles will be guest speakers at the 2004 Razorback Golf Tournament set for Paragould Country Club on July 8 at 1 p.m.
Entry fee for the tournament is $500 and is limited to the first 22 four-man teams. Every team will have one Razorback celebrity placed with them.
Corporate sponsorships are available for $1000, with hole sponsorships available for $100. Tickets for the banquet are $20, and will be available at the front door. To sign up, call John Roleson at (870) 239-2328.
After putting up big numbers at Walnut Ridge, Ronnie Tagge transferred to Class AAAAA Jonesboro and developed into the role of point guard and distributor.
Now he's ready to run the show for Crowley's Ridge College.
Tagge signed to play basketball for CRC Friday in a ceremony at Hurricane Gym and should see playing time next year at the one spot for the junior college.
Tagge averaged 12 points per game last year for the Hurricane and drilled 50 three-pointers, including five in the first quarter of a big road victory at Searcy that helped JHS finish third in the AAAAA-East.
Sixth-year coach Royce McMillon returns just one starter and
feels Tagge will fill the void at point guard for his Crowley's
squad, which finished 9-18 last year.