By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Chance Pearson and Kellon Bowman combined to pitch Machen Ford to an opening season win over Taylor Glass Thursday as the Junior Babe Ruth season got under way at the Sports Complex.
Pearson started and worked the first two innings before giving way to Bowman who finished out the 4-3 win.
Machen scored twice in the top of the first to lead 2-0 when Pearson singled and scored and Bowman was hit by a pitch and scored on Mark Machen's RBI single.
Taylor used a run by Tyrice Bradley to cut Machen's lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first and took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second by plating two more runs.
Pearson scored his second run of the game in the top of the third to tie the game at 3-3 and then used a run by Byron Gardner in the fourth to regain the 4-3 lead.
Garritt Clark started for Taylor and went three innings before Findley Scott Laws took the mound for the final two innings.
In other JBRuth action, Cochran Auto scored four runs in the top of the second to post an 8-3 win over FCity Health Club.
Leonard Banks and Chad Doyle combined for the pitching duties for Cochran.
Justin Cochran and Nathan Jefferson scored two runs each while Banks, Kenny Norman, Mario Peters and Brandon Davis added single runs.
FC Health Club got single runs from Henry Malone, Chauncey Boles and Dale Boyd while Markese Ware and Boyd combined for the pitching duties.
The four-run, second inning by Cochran snapped a 2-2 tie.
The JBRuth League will return to action on Monday when Rotary Club, idle on Thursday, will take on FCity Health Club and Taylor Glass will face Cochran Auto.
The league will play on Monday and Thursday nights this season and all games will be played on Field 8 which is home to the high school baseball team and the American Legion team.
Lucas Trucking moved to 2-0 for the year, using an 9-0 win over Houser Thursday in Bambino 11-12 League play.
The game was scoreless until Lucas plated four runs in the fourth inning. The team added two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. John Jones scored twice for Lucas.
Cochran Auto scored a 5-4 win over Roberts Welding Thursday by plating the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning breaking a 4-4 tie.
In the final game Thursday, Derrick CPA picked up its first win of the year, turning back Mr. T Auto 9-6.
Jerrod Brown scored three of Mr. T's six runs.
Derrick scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to post the win.
Ben Dickey and T.J. McFadden scored two runs each for the winners. Chris Chism homered for Derrick in the second inning.
The Sylvan Hills Bears are playing for a state title.
The Bears beat Greenwood 6-2 in the Class AAAA state semifinals at Mills High School Thursday to earn that right. The Bears will face Batesville in the final Saturday at Baum Stadium.
Sylvan Hills (27-3) used a four-run fourth inning to break open the game.
Greenwood (26-7) left 11 men on base, including four in the first two innings.
The Batesville Pioneers earned their trip to Baum Stadium in Fayetteville with an 11-0 shutout victory over White Hall in their semifinal game Thursday.
Batesville ran its record at Pulaski County Field on the campus of Mills High School to a perfect 19-0 with an 11-0, five-inning victory over the Bulldogs.
The Pioneers (30-5) won state titles in 1994, 1995 and 1998, with all four games of each tournament played at Mills.
With the finals now held in Fayetteville, only three games are played at host sites, and in the past two seasons Batesville has gone 6-0 at Mills, advancing to the finals each season.
In Class AAA state tournament action Thursday, Ashdown held off Pulaski Academy 10-5 to get to the title game.
Pulaski Academy (18-14) pulled to within 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. But shortstop Ryan Chavez hit a two-run double with one out in the top of the fifth to start a four-run inning for Ashdown.
Pulaski Academy won the AAA state championship in 2002 and 2003 but lost six starters to graduation. Two more transferred to other schools.
Ashdown will face Central Arkansas Chrstian in Saturday's championship matchup.
CAC (32-5) defeated Warren 1-0 Thursday to reach the title game.
In the Class AA state sdemifinals Thursday, Buffalo Island Central held off Glen Rose 5-3 to advance to Saturday's championship game at Fayetteville.
Buffalo Island Central will face Junction City in the final.
Junction City (27-9) banged out 11 hits and scored 10 runs in the first two innings and cruised to a 14-2 run rule victory over Walnut Ridge to advance.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Hartman Diesel won its second straight game of the young season Thursday to take over the top spot in the Minor (pitching machine) League at 2-0.
Vaccaro Lumber is undefeated at 1-0 and will play for the second time tonight.
Hartman got three runs from Colby Hight and two runs each from Zach Morris and Trey Lotta in an 11-0 win over Arkansas Electric Outlet, which did not get a single runner on base.
In the other Minor League game played Thursday, the Lion's Club scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a come-from-behind 7-6 win over Ridout Lumber.
Ridout led 6-3 headed into the bottom half of the sixth after scoring three runs in the top of the third inning.
Alex Martin scored three runs for Lion's Club while Jacob Lawson scored what turned out to be the game-winning run in the sixth.
Trent Steen and Andre Hancock led Ridout by scoring two runs each.
Cody Talley and Ashton Morgan added single runs.
Ridout and Lion's Club each stand at 1-1 for the year.
Tonight, Food Giant takes on Easley Law at 6 p.m., while Vaccaro will test Twillies Tigers at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be played on Field 7.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The new kids on the 16-Under girls' fast-pitch block scored a victory Thursday night.
Pizza Inn put up five runs in the third inning to hand Dr. St. John a 10-7 loss as play in the girls' 16-under softball league got under way at the Complex.
Chari Agnew, Erin Marlowe and Shantal Driver led the way for Pizza Inn by scoring two runs each.
Dr. St. John plated five runs in the bottom of the second to take a 6-3 lead before Pizza Inn rallied.
Sunni Dunn led St. John by scoring three runs.
Clay Funeral Home got two runs from Megan White and scored in each of the three innings to post a 9-7 win over the Dixie Chix Thursday.
Both teams were locked in a 4-4 tie after the first inning.
Finally, Bonanza got three runs from Alisha Kennedy in an 11-5 win over Times Herald.
Bonanza opened a 3-0 lead in the first and added three runs in the third to lead 6-0 before Times Herald got on the board with runs by Rudy Steward and Cassandra Jackson.
Times Herald scored three times in their last at bat but fell short of the victory.
On Monday, the girls' 12-under fast pitch softball league will officially begin when Crowley's takes on Giffin's Grins and Delta Breeze faces Food Giant.
The 10-under girls' softball league resumes play tonight with
games starting at 7 p.m.
Forrest City will host a pair of summer Mustang basketball camps at Mustang Arena.
The first of the two camps will be an elementary boys' and girls' camp scheduled for June 7-10, for students going into the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in the fall.
The girls camp will be held each day from 8 until 11 a.m. while the boys will have their camp sessions from 12 noon until 3 p.m., each day.
The second camp is a boys' and girls' junior high camp scheduled for June 14-17, at Mustang Arena.
The camp is for those students who will be entering the seventh, eighth or ninth grade in the fall.
The girls will meet from 8 until 11 a.m. and the boys from noon until 3 p.m.
Cost per student for each camp is $20 and all campers must have the paperwork completed and turned in with the camp fee by Thursday, May 20.
Entry forms and money may be turned in to either Coach Dwight
Lofton, Coach Jacky England or Coach Sue Jayroe or to the principal
at the student's respective campus.
Wynne will host the annual Flat As A Pancake 5K on Saturday, June 12 in conjunction with this year's Farmfest celebration.
Cost per person is $15 before race day and $20 on race day.
For more information, call David Reagler at 870-238-5528.