By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Machen Ford and Taylor Glass posted lop-sided wins in Junior Babe Ruth League played Thursday night.
Chance Pearson pitched no hit ball for four innings and struck out seven as Machen downed Rotary Club 13-3.
In the late game, Taylor Glass got a combined pitching effort from Findley Scott Laws and Tyrice Bradley in a 17-1 win over Forrest City Health Club.
Taylor improves to 6-1 for the year while Machen is 5-1. Machen has two games left to play while Taylor has one remaining game.
The possibility exists for the two teams to end in a tie, provided both teams win out.
The only flaw in Pearson's outing Thursday was the eight walks issued, which included a fourth-inning walk with the bases loaded to give Rotary their first run.
Blake Davis scored three runs to lead Machen while Mark Machen, Pearson, Kellon Bowman and Alan Triggs scored two runs each.
Barrett Beshears and Bradley combined to score seven of Taylor's 17 runs Thursday night.
Beshears scored four times and had four RBIs while Bradley scored three runs.
Laws added two runs as did Donnie Willis while Garritt Clark and Thurlo Ward added single runs.
Taylor Glass scored 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead.
Laws went two innings before giving way to Bradley in the top of the third inning.
The Health Club team got its lone run from Zach Hoskins.
The league will make up its two rain out dates Monday and Thursday next week.
Forrest City is scheduled to host the 13-year-old Junior Babe Ruth state tournament.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
It wasn't the blow out win that Easley Coach Craig Parker wanted, but it was a win.
Easley Law scored five runs each in the first and second innings Thursday night and held Hartman Diesel to three runs on the way to a 12-6 win and a perfect 10-0 record in the Minor (pitching machine) League.
The Hartman loss, coupled with Vaccaro's 9-5 win over Arkansas Electric, creates a tie for second between Hartman and Vaccaro. Both teams are 8-2.
Easley scored the 12 runs on 14 hits and four fielding errors by Hartman. Eleven times, Easley batters went down swinging, which helped Hartman creep back in the later innings.
Hartman managed only eight hits and suffered 10 strikeouts -- six of those coming consecutively in the bottom of the second and third innings.
Tavian Banks led Easley by scoring three runs on two hits while four Easley players -- Larren Freeman, Seth Parker, Tanner Hess and Weston Hess -- each scored two runs.
Parker connected for a two-run home run in the top of the second inning after Freeman reached base on an error. Parker's blast put Easley in front 8-3.
Damond Watson and Freeman each finished with three RBIs.
Chandler Walton led Hartman by scoring two runs on two hits, a triple and a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth and driving in two runs.
Trevontae Coulter was the only other Hartman player to get more than one hit in the game. Coulter had an RBI single in the first inning and later added a double.
Vaccaro got two runs from Ethan Adams in the teams win over Arkansas Electric.
Vaccaro tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the first and again at 5-5 with two runs in the bottom of the third. A four-run fourth inning made the difference.
As they have done many times in past seasons, Gym 2000 emerged Thursday as the team to beat in the adult men's softball league.
Headed into their game against Kerby's, Gym 2000 scored an easy 16-0 win to stay unbeaten at 6-0 and in first place in the league standings.
Kerby's loses for the first time this season and slips to 5-1 and into second place.
Gym led 2-0 after one inning, 5-0 after three and 7-0 going into the top of the fifth.
Sending 10 batters to the plate, Gym 2000 scored nine runs to put the game away.
Kerby's managed just six base runners in the game and suffered 12 fly outs and three strike outs.
The Middle Busters held off Wal-Mart 14-10 to push their season mark to 4-2 which is good enough for third place.
Middle Busters scored six runs in the top of the first and survived a seven-run, sixth inning by Wal-Mart to get the win.
A&M Connection cruised to an 11-6 win over the Head Hunters and into a tie for fourth place with Wal-Mart.
Both teams are 3-3 for the year.
A&M led 4-0 after one inning and 7-2 after two innings.
Finally, Laws Contracting picked up their first win of the year by defeating Food Giant 15-11.
In the adult women's softball league Thursday, Chism stayed unbeaten but the Dynamic Divas continued to apply pressure to the league leaders.
Chism, 5-0, downed Popeyes 9-4 while the Divas routed Wal-Mart
19-4 to move to 4-1 for the year.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Lucas Trucking broke open a close game with a three-run, third inning Thursday to get past Mr. T Auto 12-4.
The victory gives Lucas a 9-0 record in the Bambino 11-12 League.
The two teams were locked in a 4-4 tie before Lucas scored the three runs to break the tie and take the lead.
Lucas went on to score five runs in the fourth inning while holding Mr. T scoreless over the final two innings.
Derrick CPA pushed the game-winning run across the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning Thursday to clip Cochran 10-9.
Cochran took a 9-7 lead with a single run in he top of the fifth before Derrick was able to tie the game with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Cochran managed one base runner in the top of the sixth, but left him standing at second giving Derrick the opportuity to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the last inning.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Delta Breeze and Pizza Inn secured victories in fast-pitch softball league play Thursday night at the Sports Complex, tuning up for this weekend's district tournament at Wynne.
Delta, comprised of players from Forrest City and Wynne, ran their season mark to 7-0 and clinched the 12-under fast-pitch league title with a 12-4 win over Crowley's.
Crowley's is in second place in the league at 4-3. Each team has two games remaining to be played.
The Delta team will open district tournament play tonight at 7:45 p.m., when they take on the Marion Shockers at the Wynne Sports Complex on Field 8, in the eight-team, double elimination style bracket.
The top four teams will advance to the state tournament, June 25-27, at Bentonville.
In Thursday's other 12-under game, Food Giant improved to 3-4 for the year with a 9-8 win over Giffin's.
In 16-under fast pitch league play Thursday, Pizza Inn kept pace with Bonanza to remain in a first-place tie in the league.
Both Pizza Inn and Bonanza are 7-1 after taking Thursday night victories.
Pizza Inn defeated Dixie Chix 8-5 while Bonanza downed Dr. St. John 11-0.
Pizza Inn is scheduled to open district tournament play Saturday at 9 a.m., against the Marion Angels in the four-team 16-under district bracket at Wynne.
All four teams can advance to the state tournament if they choose.
Bonanza is passing on the district tournament, due to an expected lack of available players, according to head coach Steve Gracey.
In other 16-under play Thursday, it was Times-Herald evening their season record at 4-4 by taking a 13-7 win over Clay Funeral Home.
The Forrest City 10-under slow pitch softball league resumes play tonight and two of the Forrest City teams -- Walker Insurance, unbeaten at 10-0 for the year and Forrest City Bank, will open play at the 10-under district tournament in Wynne Saturday.
Walker Insurance will play Wynne's Clark Appraisal at 9 a.m., while Forrest City Bank will take on Wynne's Giffin's Grins at 10 a.m. in the five-team bracket.
The top three teams advance to the state tournament at Sherwood,
June 25-27.
One of Arkansas' oldest softball tournaments, the Mountain Dew Grand Slam, is coming back to Jonesboro.
One-hundred-thirty games, played by 67 teams from Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, will highlight the 23rd annual tournament, hosted by the Jonesboro Softball Association beginning tonight at Southside Softball Complex.
The tournament is one of the oldest tournaments in Arkansas, and the largest youth tournament that is held at one site.
T-ball, 8-and-under coaches pitch, 10-and-under, 12-and-under, 14-and-under, and 16-and-under divisions will be represented. The 12-and-under division is the largest, fielding 18 teams, while the 16-and-under and T-ball divisions are the smallest, with only six and four teams, respectively.
The Mountain Dew Grand Slam kicks off tonight at 6:15 with opening ceremonies before the games begin at 6:30 on eight different fields. The tournament resumes Saturday morning at 8 and has games schedule until 10 p.m., with the 16-year-old division playing its championship game Saturday night. The T-ball division finishes its competition at noon on Saturday.
Eight-and-under, 10-and-under and 14-and-under play their championship games on Sunday afternoon beginning at 1. The top four finishers in each division will receive trophies.
The tournament will have some strong local competition, including the 10-and-under Sizzlers, who took a first-place finish at the Paragould tournament last weekend, and the 10-and-under Team Nitro, which won nine out of 11 games behind pitcher Cheyenne Mauldin, who missed some games due to injury earlier this season.
Team Nitro coach Benj Barylske is optimistic about his team's chances in this weekend's tournament, especially after getting a healthy Mauldin back on Monday.
Team Nitro took a third-place finish in last year's Mountain Dew Grand Slam after rain canceled Sunday's championship games.
"It's a good tournament. I hope we don't get rained out," Barlyske said, referring to this weekend's chances of showers and thunderstorms.
The 8-and-under Mr. Trophy Bombers, who have a league-best 13-1 record, will also add flair to the weekend competition.
"We play just about every weekend," Mr. Trophy head coach Larry Brantley said. "We went to the Rooster Poot Invitational and got third place. "The girls weren't too happy about that."
After taking lumps for two years, Brantley said that his team, which holds a 48-5 overall record, is basking in their glory this year.
"They worked their tails off," Brantley said. "We started practicing in the gym in January. They worked their tails off, showed up in the freezing cold to practice softball. They just made the effort to do it."