By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The number nine has been both a friend and a foe for the Forrest City Lady Mustang softball team this week.
On Tuesday, the Lady Mustangs needed nine innings to edge Searcy 6-5.
Wednesday, the Lady Mustangs went nine innings again against Brinkley.
This time, it was the visiting Lady Tigers getting the upper hand winning 9-6 to earn their first victory of the season while sending the Lady Mustangs to their first loss.
Brinkley, which had lost to Wynne and defending Class AA state champs, Camden Harmony Grove rattled starting Forrest City pitcher Stacey Gracey for the nine runs on seven hits and three walks.
Gracey went the full innings just one day after throwing seven innings to pick up the win over Searcy.
Forrest City Coach Pam England never considered sending pitcher Mallory Nelson to the mound. Nelson started against Searcy but lasted only two innings after throwing seven innings Monday against Blytheville.
"I wanted Stacey to stay on the mound," England said. "She was tiring a little, but she was still throwing well. The Brinkley batters who were hitting her were the same ones from inning-to-inning who had hit her from the start. She (Gracey) needed to face that kind of game situation and to face that kind of pressure. She did exactly what I asked her to do."
Gracey did strike out 11 Brinkley hitters along the way and set the Lady Tigers down in order in the top of the sixth and the top of the seventh which helped Forrest City rally to tie the game at 6-6, sending the game into extra innings.
Forrest City came to bat in the bottom of the seventh trailing Brinkley 6-5. Gracey laid down a bunt to start the inning which was misplayed for an error. With Rachel Sims at the plate, Gracey took second on a passed ball and scored on an overthrow at third. Sims walked but was caught in a double play which helped end the inning.
Gracey gave up a one-out walk to Brinkley in the top of the eighth while retiring the side but the Lady Mustangs failed to score in the bottom of the inning after Chari Agnew singled and Randal Ross was tagged out at third on a close play.
Brinkley plated three runs in the top of the ninth using one hit, a walk and two Forrest City errors to take a 9-6 lead.
With Kim Stevens on at second base to start the bottom of the ninth (using the International Tie Breaker rule) Holly Simon grounded out before Stevens scored on a ground out by Leigh Anna Taylor. Gracey went down swinging to end the game.
Gracey and Sims scored twice to lead the Lady Mustangs while Simon, Taylor and Stevens each scored single runs as Forrest City banged out eight hits. Sims homered twice for Forrest City.
Brinkley pitcher Ashley herald struck out nine Forrest City hitters while getting the complete-game win.
Brinkley led 1-0 before the Lady Mustangs scored twice in the bottom of the first to lead 2-1.
Brinkley tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth and led 6-3 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Sims' two-run home run to left center got the Lady Mustangs back within one at 6-5 to start the sixth inning.
Forrest City's scheduled game against Jonesboro today has been cancelled. The team returns to action on Tuesday, March 16, when they take on Cabot.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK -- Last Saturday the Cabot Lady Panthers moved from "Smalltel" to Alltel.
Cabot will take on Little Rock Parkview in the Class AAAAA state championship game on Saturday at 1:15 p.m., at Alltel Arena in North Little Rock.
The Lady Panthers beat Mountain Home in last Saturday's semifinals at North Little Rock High School Arena to advance to the girls championship game.
While Cabot has won state titles in almost every other school-related sport, the school does not own a state basketball title. In fact, this year's Lady panther team is the first-ever Cabot girls' team to play for a state tile.
Cabot has lost twice this season and avenged one of those losses (Jonesboro).
The Lady Panthers will get a chance to do it against Parkview on the state's largest stage.
Parkview defeated Cabot 70-60 in the championship game of the Joe T. Robinson Classic back on Dec. 13.
Cabot advanced to the Class AAAAA state title game with wins over Van Buren, Conway and Mountain Home -- all teams that they beat during the regular season.
Parkview beat West Memphis, Watson Chapel and Fort Smith Northside.
First-year Cabot Coach Carla Crowder said the team's goal was to make it to the state championship game.
"This is a great goal to have," Crowder said after her team rallied to beat Mountain Home in the semifinals.
It is also the first time-ever for the Little Rock Parkview Lady Patriots to play for a state championship in girls' basketball.
Parkview has seven state basketball titles but all seven championships belong to the Parkview boys.
During the state tournament, four Parkview players are averaging in double figures in scoring. Junior
Crystal Boyd and freshman Raeshara Brown are both averaging 12.3 points per game. Freshman Gabrielle Jones is averaging 11.3 points per game. Mariesha Piggie is averaging 10.3 points per game. Boyd scored 22 points during her team's win over Cabot in December.
Brittany Goings is leading Cabot with 16 points per game. Ashley Anderson is averaging 13 points per game while Allie Gammill is averaging 10 points per game.
Cabot and Parkview are not the only teams making first-time appearances in state title games this year.
The Wickes Lady Warriors are in the finals for the first-time ever and will play Rural Special Friday. Rural Special has been here before -- in 2001 when they lost to Guy-Perkins in overtime -- but are still seeking their first title.
The Lady Panthers overcame a nine-point second half deficit last Saturday to defeat the Mountain Home Lady Bombers 58-51 which put the team into Saturday's Class AAAAA state championship game.
Cabot will face Little Rock Parkview at 1:15, at Alltel Arena for the chance to realize the ultimate goal.
Both teams entered the Class AAAAA State Tournament ranked one-two in the rankings.
Cabot had defeated Mountain Home twice in the regular season, but playing a team three times in one season is never easy and the Lady Panthers know well the saying that "the third time might well be the charm for the Lady Bombers."
Mountain Home, led by sophomore sensations Micaela Cully and three-point sophomore specialist Samantha Dean, had shown great improvement over the course of the year, and despite a third place finish in the AAAAA-East Conference, advanced to the state semifinals by upsetting Fort Smith Southside and El Dorado.
The first quarter set the tone for the whole game as both teams set a very fast pace and displayed championship caliber play at both ends of the court. Mountain Home was able to create some turnovers with their defensive pressure, and they capitalized with hot shooting. Cully and Dean combined for 14 first half points. Cabot kept their poise though, and took advantage of its strong inside game to only trail 16-12 after the first quarter.
Senior Brittany Goings came out hot for Cabot in the first few minutes of the second quarter. She led Cabot on an 8-0 run by scoring 5 points and giving a great assist to junior Ashley Anderson that led to a three-point play. Cabot clung to a 28-26 lead with :40 left in the half. Mountain Home played for the last shot of the half. Cabot applied a tight defense and nearly caused a turnover twice. Mountain Home was able to dribble out of the pressure and got the ball in Micaela Cully's hands with seconds left.
Cully drove into the lane and hit a jump shot as time expired to tie the game 28-28 at the half. Cully had 16 points in the first half, but she was just getting started. The sophomore scored the first 9 points of the third quarter to give Mountain Home a 37-28 lead. Cabot's true character showed though as they didn't get rattled. Ashley Anderson stopped the scoring streak with two points in the paint.
After another Cully bucket, Brittany Goings scored 5 straight points and Anderson added two free throws to cut the lead to 39-37. Cully and Anderson would each score two more points and Mountain Home led 41-39 after the third quarter. Cully scored all 11 Mountain Home points in the third quarter and had 19 straight points for her team overall.
Not to be outdone by the sensational Lady Bomber sophomores, Cabot's super sophomore Kim Sitzman really stepped up her game to start the forth quarter. Sitzman was guarding Micaela Cully when she stole the ball and raced towards the other end of the court. Cully fouled Sitzman as she shot. Sitzman hit the first free throw but missed the second. However Cynthia Roberts rebounded the ball for Cabot and put it back for two points and a 42-41 Lady Panther lead.
After each team traded missed shots, Sitzman hit a three pointer and then followed a Roberts missed shot to add two more points. Cabot was on a 10-0 run and had built a 47-41 lead with 5:33 to play. Mountain Home called a timeout and Samantha Dean hit a three coming out of the timeout to cut the lead in half. Thanks to good foul shooting and senior leadership, Cabot would score the next 6 points and had a 53-44 lead with 3:07 left.
Dean would add two more threes, but it wouldn't be enough as Cabot hung on for a 58-51 victory. Brittany Goings credited both teams' efforts after the game. "Mountain Home improved so much over this whole year. They're an all sophomore team, and they just stepped up and are playing like seniors this year, especially in the state tournament where they've had a lot of big upsets," said Goings.
"Our seniors on our team are awesome. We want it so bad. Our whole team stepped up." Brittany Goings had a double-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block while Ashley Anderson had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks for the Lady Panthers. Kim Sitzman had 10 points, Cynthia Roberts 7 points, Allie Gammill 5 points, and Emily Fulmer 2 points. Mountain Home was led by Micaela Cully's 29 points, Samantha Dean had 18 points, and Daysha McGrath had 4 points. Cabot head coach Carla Crowder was grateful for the Red Sea inside the North Little Rock gym, nicknamed Smalltel Arena.
"I think we owe the game to our fans," Crowder said. "They were awesome. We had a packed house and they're our sixth man." Coach Crowder said her girls would really have to prepare and work hard to get past their next opponent. Saturday's championship game will be against Parkview, who handed Cabot one of its two losses earlier this season. Cabot's Red Sea is sure to do their part in Alltel as they did in Smalltel.
The Wickes Lady Warriors are in the finals for the first-time ever and will play Rural Special Friday. Rural Special has been here before -- in 2001 when they lost to Guy-Perkins in overtime.
Three high school boys teams -- Little Rock Mills, Sylvan Hills and East Poinsett County -- are making first-ever appearances in state championship games.