By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Machen Ford put up nine runs in the top of the first inning and went on to take a 14-3 win over Rotary Club Thursday in Junior Babe Ruth League play at the Sports Complex.
Kellon Bowman pitched the complete game for Machen and gave up the three runs on just five hits while walking four -- three of those walks to William Burks. Bowman had nine strikeouts.
Burks turned two of the three walks into two of Rotary's three runs. Kenny Powell scored a single run for Rotary.
Machen improves to 2-0 in the league. The Ford team has been rained out twice in the last week.
Bowman helped his own cause by scoring three runs. Mark Machen scored twice as did Blake Davis and Taylor Chism. Chance Pearson, Alan Trigg, Ryan Thompson, Kaleb Cannon and Tyler Davenport added single runs.
Machen Ford banged out eight hits in getting the win as eight of the team's starting nine players all scored.
Taylor Glass improved to 2-1 for the year by putting away Forrest City Health Club, 15-3 Thursday in Junior Babe Ruth.
Garritt Clark went five innings to secure the win.
Clark held FC Health Club to three runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out five.
Markese Ware and Trenton Ware combined for the Health Club pitching duties.
Taylor Glass led 2-1 after one inning and scored twice in the top of the second to lead 4-1.
After Health Club added a single run in the bottom of the second inning, Taylor broke the game open with five runs in the top of the third to lead 9-2. A three-run fourth and a three-run fifth inning made the final.
Barrett Beshears, Tyrice Bradley, James Green, Desmond Pigue, Shaquille Brown and Adam Hughes all scored two runs to lead Taylor Glass.
Findley Scott Laws, Kennon Haynie and Jared Northcutt added single runs.
Health Club got single runs from Chauncey Boles, Trenton Ware and Quinn Powell.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
In 16-under girls' fast-pitch, it's steak vs pizza in the early going.
Thursday night, Bonanza and Pizza Inn both recorded victories to start the season at 3-0.
Stacey Gracey led the way for Bonanza by scoring three runs on the way to an 8-2 win over Dr. St. John.
Pizza Inn used a five-run, third inning to get past Dixie Chix 11-5.
Leading 2-1 after one inning, Bonanza scored twice in the second and added four runs in the top of the third to secure the win.
Randal Ross and Megan Best added single runs.
Sunni Dunn and Kadie Lockard scored single runs for Dr. St. John.
Pizza Inn and the Dixie Chix were tied at 4-4 after one inning before Pizza Inn put up five runs to take a 9-4 lead.
Akilah Norman, Sequoria Grady and Shantal Driver each scored two runs while Risonda Deans, Chari Agnew, Nicole Moore and Ashley Boswell added single runs.
In the final 16-under game, Times-Herald was able to hold off Clay Funeral Home 13-10, using a five-run, fourth inning.
Alicia Hall and Cassandra Jackson led Times-Herald by scoring three runs. Rudy Steward and Courtney Burns added two runs each.
Times-Herald stands at 2-1 for the season.
In the 12-under fast-pitch league, Delta Breeze and Crowley's each remained unbeaten at 2-0.
The Delta Breeze team scored five runs each in the first two innings and added a pair of final runs in the third to roll up Food Giant 12-7.
Mishanna Morgan scored twice for Food Giant while Robin Steward, Courtney Barton and Kristina Fort added single runs.
There was no roster available for the Delta Breeze team.
Giffins Grins rallied for five runs in the top of the third but couldn't overcome Crowley's, falling 10-7.
Crowley's scored the five run limit in the first two innings to build a 10-2 lead before Giffin's began to chip away at the lead.
Giffin's got two runs from Cassie Holloway and one run each from Macayla Metcalf, Tatyana Ursery, Nakia Mason and Brea Metcalf.
Semiko Grady, LaQuisha Moore and Keisha Mayo scored twice for Crowley's. Shameka Barber, Sydney Mitchell and Jasmine Rucker added one run each.
The 10-under slow pitch league is scheduled to play tonight beginning at 7 p.m.
Food Giant and Forrest City Bank, both unbeaten in the league,
will face each other at 8 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Hartman's loss Thursday night was Easley's gain in Minor League play.
Vaccaro scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to slip past Hartman Diesel 13-12. It was Hartman's first loss of the year, leaving the team at 4-1. Easley, who plays tonight, stands at 4-0. The win puts Vaccaro in third place at 3-1.
Hartman led 12-9 going into the bottom of the last inning.
Davian Hardrick, Michael Bernard, Jared Haynie and Cody Tittle each scored twice for Vaccaro.
Zach Morris scored four runs for Hartman while Colby Hight added three, Chandler Walton had two and Taylor Hartman, Ethan Deere and Tyler Hill scored single runs.
In the nightcap, Ridout took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning and then held off Twillies Tigers 5-4, getting what turned out to be the game-winning run in the top of the third from Aaron Cole.
The Tigers scored three times in the bottom of the fourth before running out of outs with the potential tying run standing a third base.
Anthony Jenkins scored two of Twillies four runs while Tajuan Whitby and Jaquore Marrs scored single runs.
Cole crossed home plate twice for Ridout (2-2) while Cody Talley,
Eric Brandon and Trenton Steen added runs.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Henry Henderson worked four strong innings and Jim Bailey struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth as Lucas Trucking improved to 4-0 with a 7-2 win over Cochran in Bambino 11-12 League play.
Henderson gave up the two runs on two hits while walking four. He had 11 strikeouts.
Lucas got a pair of runs from Bruce Heard, Louis Driver and Sharderio Logan and one run from Bailey.
Bailey mixed in his off-speed pitch with his over-powering fast ball to set down the side in the last inning.
Roberts Welding jumped out to a quick lead by scoring nine runs in the top of the first inning, sending 12 batters to the plate, on the way to a 14-5 win over Derrick CPA Thursday.
Roberts improves to 3-1 in the league behind first-place Lucas Trucking.
Mr. T Auto was able to plate the game-tying run in the top of the fifth inning but couldn't hold off Houser in the home portion of the inning.
Tied at 5-5, Zachery Hill tripled to lead off the fifth and scored on a passed ball to lift Housers to a 6-5 victory.
It was the first win of the season for Housers.
Jeffery Siler scored two of Housers six runs using two singles and a fourth-inning home run.
Will Whittenton and Ruben Ivey added single runs while Derek Buchanan homered in the first inning.
James Humphrey, Dillon Quinn and Jerrod Brown helped Mr. T Auto by scoring single runs.
The Bambino 9-10 League will play tonight.
Finally, after two attempts and two rain outs, the adult men and women softball leagues were able to open the 2004 season Thursday night at the Sports Complex.
Reverting back to the original schedule, which had been revised a half-dozen times, three of the four scheduled games were blow outs victories for the home teams while the fourth game ended in a one-point win.
With no clear favorite this season (with Barnes Timber not among the league members) the men's field appears to be a wide open race.
Wal Mart blasted Food Giant 23-2 while Kerby's used a balanced offensive attack to put away A&M Connection 17-4.
Gym 2000 routed Laws 15-3 while the Middle Busters edged Head Hunters 17-16.
In adult women's play, perennial powerhouse Chism shut out Popeyes 16-0 while the Lady Divas downed Wal Mart 15-3.
The adult leagues will return to the diamond Monday night.
Forrest City will host elementary and junior high basketball camps this summer at Mustang Arena.
The elementary boys and girls' camp will be held June 7-10, for students going into the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in the fall. A boys' and girls' junior high camp is scheduled for June 14-17, for youths entering seventh, eighth or ninth grade in the fall.
At both camps, the girls will meet from 8 until 11 a.m. while the boys will meet from 12 noon until 3 p.m., each day.
Cost per student for each camp is $20 and all campers must have the paperwork completed and turned in to the office on their respective campus with the camp fee by Wednesday, May 26.