By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
BENTON -- The stay at the Class AAAAA State Baseball Tournament for the four representatives from the AAAAA-East was short and definitely not so sweet.
The league's co-champions, Searcy and Jonesboro fell as did third seeded Mountain Home and No. 4 seed Blytheville.
Last year, Cabot, Jonesboro, Jacksonville and Mountain Home all lost on the first day. In 2002, only Sylvan Hills survived the first days schedule.
Monday, using a complete-game, 10-strikeout performance from Jake Sullivan, the LR Central Tigers beat Jonesboro 6-2 at Panther Field in Benton.
The last time Central (24-7) won a state tournament game, Josh Sullivan, Jake's older brother now pitching for the Auburn Tigers, beat Cabot 9-6 in 2002.
The Hurricane close out the season at 22-11.
In other Class AAAAA games Monday, it was Sheridan 11, Springdale 8; Texarkana 1, Conway 0; Russellville 8, Searcy 7, 8 innings; Bryant 9, Blytheville 3; Watson Chapel 4, Rogers 3; NLRock 4, Pine Bluff 3 and Bentonville 14, Mountain Home 4.
The tournament resumes today with Sheridan taking on LR Central; Watson Chapel going against Bryant; Texarkana against Bentonville and Russellville squaring off against NLR.
Brandon Jester hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted Arkadelphia to a 6-5 victory over Greene County Tech in the first round of the AAAA state baseball tournament at Mills High School.
In other Class AAAA games Sylvan Hills, which returns to the AAAAA-East Conference in the fall, pounded Morrilton 16-0.
The Bears improve to 25-3. and will face the winner of today's Malvern-Marion matchup on Wednesday at 2:30.
Also Monday, it was Greenwood 2, Crossett 0 and Batesville 12, HS Lakeside 1.
In Class AAA Monday at Ashdown, it was Warren 4, Newport 1; CAC 10, Gentry 8 and Ashdown 11, Brinkley 1.
In Class A, it was Viola 5, Wickes 1; Sacred Heart 8, Scranton 0; FS Christian 9, Delaplaine 0; Ola 8, Rural Special 1and Armorel 11, Omaha 1.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Lucas Trucking was nearly perfect Monday night.
The team opened the 2004 Bambino (11-12) League with a bang Monday night, shutting out Cochran Auto10-0.
Lucas pitcher Jim Bailey fired a no-hitter and contributed to his own cause by scoring three runs using two hits and a walk.
Bailey faced only 13 Cochran hitters and retired the first 11 he faced before walking Tom Bryant in the top of the fourth.
He struck out eight of the 13 batters he faced.
Lucas put up 6 runs in the bottom of the first, added three in the second and one in the fourth to end the game.
Louis Driver and Darry Banks scored two runs each. Banks homered in the second.
In other Bambino League play Monday, Roberts Welding got three runs from Ro Ro Steverson and two runs each from Grant Smith and Jackson McCoy in an 11-1 win over Derrick CPA.
Steverson started and pitched the first three innings to gain the victory.
Ben Dickey scored the lone run for Derrick, when he led off the game with a double and scored on a sacrifice ground out by Ladarius Hartaway.
Derrick mustered only three hits in the game.
And finally, Mr. T Auto broke a 10-10 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning to edge Houser 11-10.
Dominique Smith, James Earl Humphrey, Tim Quinn and Terry Matthew each scored two runs to lead Mr. T.
Houser got two runs each from Will Whittenton, Jeffery Siler and Derek Buchanan.
The Bambino (9-10) League opens play tonight with four games on two fields beginning at 6 p.m.
The Junior Babe Ruth League is scheduled to begin play Thursday night.
In the pitching machine league Monday, Ridout Lumber used three runs by Cody Talley and two runs by Trent Steen and Aaron Cole to put away Arkansas Electric Outlet 9-7.
Ridout fell behind 4-1 before scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 5-4 lead.
In the second game, Hartman Diesel routed Lions Club 17-3, scoring eight runs in the top of the fourth to put the game away.
Colby Hight and Chandler Walton scored four runs each to lead Hartman while Zach Morris added three and Ethan Deere scored twice.
The Minor League continues tonight with Food Giant against Vaccaro at 6 p.m. and Twillies Tigers and Easley Law at 7:30 p.m.
The T-Ball league opens play tonight at 6 p.m. as does the 10-under girls' slow-pitch softball league, with their games beginning at 7 p.m.
You can't afford to make mistakes against the Jacksonville Lady Red Devils.
Rogers did and the AAAAA-East Conference champions made them pay.
Lady Red Devil pitcher Jessica Bock led her teammates in a 3-0 shutout victory in the first round of the Class AAAAA State Fast-Pitch Tournament at Sherwood's Kevin Mcreynolds Complex Monday.
Rogers had an early base-running blunder and Bock made the Lady Mounties pay.
In the first inning, Rogers' Angie Chambers drew a walk for but was later thrown out trying to steal third, and the Lady Mounties never came close to scoring again.
The Lady Red Devils improve to 19-4. They scored their first run in the bottom of the second when Megan Towner stole home. Bock was hit by a pitch in the third and scored on a single by Justine Rial.
Bock struck out the side in the fifth, and Jacksonville took advantage of another base-running mistake by Rogers in the sixth, when Whitney Phillips was caught off first base, to keep the Lady Mounties scoreless.
Jacksonville's Ellen Burr scored the final run by stealing home.
In other Class AAAAA games Monday, it was Fayetteville 7, Sheridan 2; Cabot 4, Mount St. Mary 1; North Little Rock 4, Mountain Home 0; Lake Hamilton 6, Springdale 2; Benton 4, Bryant 0; Bentonville 1, West Memphis 0 and Texarkana 2, Conway 1.
In the Class AA State Tournament Monday, it was Elkins 3, Arkansas Baptist 2 as the Lady Elks turned a pair of double plays to help keep Arkansas Baptist bottled up.
Elkins (25-9) advance to play Parkers Chapel in the second round at 3:45 today.
Also Monday it was WS Greers Ferry 2, Rector 0; Foreman 13, Harding Academy 3; Woodlawn 12, Newark 0; defending state champion Benton Harmony-Grove 6, Charleston 0; Rose Bud12, Riverside 10; Horatio 8, Gillett 6 and Parkers Chapel 5, Salem 2
Today's matchups have West Side Greers Ferry vs. Foreman, 2 p.m. Woodlawn vs. Benton Harmony Grove, 2 p.m. Horatio vs. Rose Bud, 3:45 p.m. Elkins vs. Parkers Chapel, 3:45 p.m.
In Class AAA state tournament action Monday, Jonesboro Westside pitcher Jamie Goodon threw a one-hitter and Michelle Arnold manufactured the only run of the game as the Lady Warriors squeaked past Lincoln 1-0 in the opening round.