By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
They coach as one unit on the weekends with the Forrest City Fireballs 13-year-old traveling team.
During the week, it's a different storyline for coaches Terry Laws, Jim Machen, Randy Pearson and Ronnie Beshears.
Laws and Beshears coach Taylor Glass while Machen and Pearson coach Machen Ford. Both teams are playing this season from the Junior Babe Ruth League.
This year is nothing new for the four friends who consider themselves friendly rivals. They have been coaching together and against each other for the last several seasons.
Away from the Fireballs, who play primarily weekend tournaments, this year -- in Junior Babe Ruth -- the competitiveness may be heightened just a little more than in past seasons.
That was true Monday.
Last week, Machen Ford grabbed the early league lead.
Monday, Taylor Glass took it away defeating Machen 10-9 to move into sole possession of first place.
Taylor stands at 3-1 for the year while Machen is 2-1 and tied with Cochran Auto for second.
The momentum of the game changed with each inning as Taylor led 2-0 before Machen took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the first.
Taylor answered with a three-run, second inning for a 5-3 cushion, prompting Machen to their own three-run outburst in the bottom of the second to regain a 6-5 lead.
Taylor tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the fifth and took a 10-6 lead by scoring four times in the top of the sixth inning.
Machen rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth before ending the game with the tying run at third and the potential game winning run standing at second.
Findley Scott Laws scored three of Taylor's 10 runs using a single, a double and a triple.
Desmond Pigue and Barrett Beshears scored two runs each while Donnie Willis, Thurlo Ward and Shaquille Brown added single runs.
Garritt Clark started and lasted into the second inning before giving way to Laws who finished out the game for the win.
Machen sent Kellon Bowman to the mound to start the game. Blake Davis came on in the second to finish up.
Davis and Chance Pearson led Machen with three runs each while Bowman scored twice and Taylor Chism added a single run.
Cochran Auto got a complete game pitching effort from Justin Cochran Monday which helped the team to a 7-1 win over Forrest City Health Club.
Cochran allowed the one run on one hit and two walks while striking out nine, including the side in the top of the fifth.
Health Club led 1-0 until Cochran tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Cochran went on to score three runs each in the third and fourth innings.
Dale Boyd went the distance for Health Club and scored the team's lone run.
Lee Smith and Brandon Barnett scored two runs each for Cochran while Kenny Norman, Torre Hunter and Brandon Davis scored one run each.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Vaccaro won its second straight game Monday night and stayed in third place in the Minor (pitching machine) League standings.
Sending 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the third inning, Vaccaro scored seven runs to put away Lions Club 10-0.
Vaccaro improves to 4-1 for the year.
Easley Law leads the league at 5-0 while Hartman Diesel, which picked up a forfeit win over Food Giant Monday night, remains in second place at 5-1.
Michael Bernard, Ethan Adams and Jared Haynie all scored two runs each for Vaccaro while Tyler Wilson, Davian Hardrick, Marvin James and Kenny Ivory scored single runs.
The Lions Club team managed only two base runners during the game. Neither runner got past second.
The action continues tonight as Easley takes on Ridout at 6 p.m., and Twillies Tigers will face Arkansas Electric Outlet in the late game.
Both games will be played on Field 7.
The Dixie Chix won their first game of the season Monday night in the girls 16-under fast-pitch softball league.
The Wynne-based team scored five times in the first inning on their way to a 9-0 win over Clay Funeral Home.
KiKi Jones led the Chix by scoring twice and got help from Kayla Ballard, Savannah Ferguson, Danielle McKnight, Bethany Williams and Sarah Bryant.
The league still belongs to Bonanza and Pizza Inn. Both teams stayed unbeaten Monday night and both teams are 4-0 for the year.
Bonanza scored four runs in the first and held on to take a 9-6 win over Times Herald.
Hannah McMahand and Randal Ross each scored two runs while Stacey Gracey and Amber Hart added single runs to help Bonanza.
Anna Horton scored two runs for Times Herald while Meagan Pipken and Brittney Duckworth scored one run each.
Rishonda Deans scored twice to lead Pizza Inn past Dr. St. John 10-4.
Chari Agnew, Shari Rogers, Erin Marlowe, Sequoria Grady and Jazzalyn Rogers all scored single runs for Pizza Inn, which put up five runs in the top of the first inning and added three more in the second to build an 8-1 cushion.
Dr. St. John scored three of their four runs in the bottom of the third when Ryan Cole, Christina Faulk and Kaylee Miller each crossed the plate.
Faulk led the team by scoring twice.
Bonanza and Pizza Inn are scheduled to face each other for the first time this season on Thursday, June 3, at 7 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Food Giant rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning which helped the team hold off Crowley's 10-9.
It was the first win of the year for Food Giant.
Crowley's led 9-6 going into the bottom of the fourth.
Every player in the Food Giant lineup scored a run including Jessika Johnson, Courtney Barton, Robin Steward, LaQuita Harris and Tamara Mays.
Tremekia McDaniel led Crowley's by scoring twice. Shanneka Barber, Brittney Tracy, Kimberly Jones and Shanice Robinson each added single runs.
Crowley's slips to 2-1 for the year.
Delta Breeze, comprised of Forrest City and Wynne players, stayed unbeaten Monday in 12-under girls fast pitch softball by taking a 13-1 win over Giffin's Grins.
Delta scored five runs in the first and third innings and three in the second.
Bryanna McClanahan led Delta by scoring three runs, using two walks and a single.
Lanora Bryant helped with two runs while Morgan Baldwin, Andrea Hall and Paige Mettler all scored single runs.
Baldwin homered in the second inning while Jerien james hit a home run in the first inning.
Makayla Metcalf scored Giffin's lone run.
Delta improves to 3-0 for the year.
The 10-under girls' slow pitch league will play tonight, beginning at 7 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Lucas keeps on trucking along in the Bambino 11-12 League.
Monday night, Lucas Trucking improved to 5-0 in the league by shutting out Houser 10-0.
Houser had only three base runners during the four inning game. Lucas had only one base runner through the first three innings.
Lucas didn't score until the fourth inning.
Jim Bailey and Bruce Heard led the way with two runs each while Daries Banks, Louis Driver and Henry Henderson all scored single runs.
Bailey pitched the shut out to get the win.
Jeffrey Siler took the pitching loss for Houser.
Cochran edged past Roberts Welding 5-4 in their Monday matchup, leaving both teams at 3-2 for the season.
Cochran grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Roberts cut that advantage to 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning and then tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the third.
Cochran plated three runs in the top of the fifth and then held Roberts to two runs in the bottom part of the inning for the win.
Chandler Sorrells and LaLoyd Hamilton combined for the Cochran pitching duties.
Romero Barber, Dontay Brown, Sorrells and Tom Bryant each scored single runs.
Roberts got runs from RoRo Steverson, Grant Smith, Tate Roberts and Josh Taylor.
Derrick CPA improved to 2-3 in the league by holding off Mr. T Auto 15-12.
T,J, McFadden and ben Dickey each scored three times for Derrick while Chris Chism, Tyler Clark and Nathan Derrick added run support.
Derrick and Dickey combined to get the pitching win.
Mr. T got three runs from Arthur Franks and two runs from Dominique Smith.
Mr. T led 6-5 after one inning. Derrick scored twice in the second to lead 7-6 before Mr. T plated four runs in the third inning to lead 10-9.
Chris Hunter, Terry Matthews and Kinslon Young combined to handle the Mr. T pitching chores.
The 9-10 Bambino League returns to action tonight at 6 p.m.
Leslie Construction leads the league while Pearson Insurance is in second and Food Giant and Sanyo are tied for third place.
The Forrest City American Legion baseball team will officially open its 2004 season today at the Sports Complex.
Forrest City, under the guidance of second-year coach Brett Bullard, will host Valley View for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.
The game is the first of three straight district doubleheader matchups for the team.
"It's a tough road to start the season, but after the first three against Valley View, Newport and Wynne, we will definitely know where we stand and where we need to be," Bullard said during a recent practice.
Monday's second verse was the same as the first verse was last week in the adult men's softball league.
The same four teams won for the second straight week, leaving four teams at 2-0 and four teams at 0-2.
Wal Mart, Gym 2000, Kerby's and the Middle Busters all won their games Monday night.
Wal Mart held off the Head Hunters 11-6; Gym 2000 downed A&M 15-11; Kerby's rolled up Food Giant 16-10 and the Middle Busters rolled past Laws Electric 16-6.
Wal Mart was forced to score five runs in the top of the sixth to break a 6-6 tie for their win over the Head Hunters.
In the adult women's softball league, Popeyes earned a forfeit win over the Lady All Stars while Chism had to score three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to slip past the Lady Divas 6-5.
The Divas led 5-3 going into the sixth.
The adult leagues will play Thursday before taking Monday, May 31, off for Memorial Day.