Stories from Thursday, April 12, 2012

Harrisburg earned a split in their doubleheader at Corning by taking the nightcap with a score of 8-6. The Bobcats took the opener 13-6. Brayden Honeycutt took the loss for the Hornets in game one. Garrett Grubbs belted a home run for Harrisburg in the loss. In game two, Kyle Mitchell led the Hornets offensively with two hits and two RBIs. Grubbs also collected two hits for Harrisburg and scored two runs.

BIC's Lady Mustangs scored three runs in the seventh inning to hand the visiting Marked Tree Lady Indians a 6-5 loss in high school softball action. Peyton Carter pitched all seven innings taking the loss. Carter gave up six runs while striking out nine and walking four. Poohnu Perry and Janelle Adams both had three hits to lead Marked Tree at the plate. Jay Perry and Shelby Knight each collected two hits for the Lady Indians. Adams had two RBIs with Perry, Knight and Carter each having one RBI.

The Trumann Lions Club Charity Golf Classic will be held April 21st, 2012 at the Trumann Country Club. This year's tournament will be played in the the memory of JoAnn Conatser, Bill Cook and Carmack Johnson. The one day tournament for two-person teams will have a nine-hole scramble in the morning, lunch while teams are flighted and then an 18-hole scramble in the afternoon. Entry fee is $100 per team. Cash prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each flight. Closest to the pin, longest putt and longest drive awards to be awarded. Call 870-483-7627 to sign up or for more information.

Coach Morgan Gilbert of Tuckerman made history when his baseball team beat Piggott on April 3. That win was the 1000th win of his career. At a ceremony on April 6, past and present players of Coach Gilbert gathered at the Morgan Gilbert Baseball complex in Tuckerman to honor his accomplishment. Among those present were members of his very first team from Tyronza High School: Jerry Williams, Charles Williams and Carrol Hinton. Charles Williams pitched the "new" coach's first victory 48 years ago. Pictured: Jerry Williams of Marked Tree, Coach Morgan Gilbert of Tuckerman, Carrol Hinton of Tyronza and Charles Williams (back) of Marked Tree. (Photo provided)

Trumann travelled to Brookland this past Tuesday for a doubleheader in high school baseball. The Wildcats (15-7, 6-3 4A-3) won both games, 9-1 and 16-2. In the opener, Michael Criss got the victory on the mound for Trumann. Criss allowed the one run while striking out four and giving up one walk. Jay Ryan Woods and Cameron Jones both had two hits apiece for Trumann. Woods, A.J. Winningham and Dillin Vincent all had two RBIs on the day with Jones adding three runs and three stolen bases. Nate Maxwell pitched Trumann to the sweep in the nightcap going six innings allowing two unearned runs with seven strikeouts. Jones again led Trumann offensively with four hits, four RBIs, two runs scored and three stolen bases. Winningham added two hits and three RBIs and Maxwell helped his own cause with three hits, two RBIs and two runs. Criss had three RBIs with two hits and scored two times.

EPC scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to overcome the heroics of Marked Tree's Bryant Anderson to pick up a 2A-3 conference win over the Indians 11-10. Anderson had given Marked Tree the lead at 10-9 with a grand slam home run in the top of the seventh before EPC's last at bat charge. This was Marked Tree's second straight conference loss having their string of 36 consecutive conference wins stopped by Walnut Ridge Monday. Marked Tree got on the board first scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Taylor Wages reached first on an EPC error and scored on a RBI double by Brandon Adamson for a 1-0 lead. The Warriors responded with three runs in bottom of the inning. Byron Scales singled with one out and advanced to second on a passed ball. Caleb Harston and Hunter Hinton both drew walks to load the bases. Byron Scales scored on an error before Zach Skipper drove in Harston and pinch runner Trevor McDaniel with a two out single for a 3-1 EPC lead after one inning. The Warriors padded their lead in the bottom of second with three more runs. Byron Scales started the two out rally with a single. Harston reached via an error and Hinton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Byron Scales scored when McKenzie Betts reached on the second Marked Tree error of the inning. Cayne Tyler drew a walk to score Hinton to put the score at 6-1 in favor of the Warriors. Anderson was hit by a pitch to start the top of the third inning and moved to second when Adamson reached on an EPC error. Anderson scored when Dylan Hunt singled to make the score 6-2 EPC. Bubba Phillips walked to load the bases. Thadious Moore grounded out to end the inning for Marked Tree. The Indians cut the lead to one with a big top half of the fourth inning. Wages led off with a double and scored when Gunner Pitts tripled to left center. Anderson walked before Adamson plated Pitts with a single. Anderson scored on a double play ground out by Jagger McCrary to make the score 6-5. Byron Scales reached on an error to start the bottom of the fifth inning. Hinton was hit for the second time while batting. Trevor McDaniel came on to pinch run for Hinton putting runners on first and second. The runners moved up a base on a passed ball before Betts and Tyler delivered back to back RBI singles to score Byron Scales and Trevor McDaniel respectively. Chandler Smith, pinch running for Betts, scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh Skipper to push the EPC lead to 9-6 after five innings of play. Josh Skipper relived Betts on the mound to start the top of the seventh inning. Bailey Gilbert worked a walk to start the inning only to be forced out at second base on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Moore. Wages reached on an error putting runners on first and second. Pitts was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Marked Tree. Anderson gave Marked Tree the lead at 10-9 with a grand slam home run. Betts started EPC's rally in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single. Trevor McDaniel entered to pinch run for Betts. Tyler drew a walk to put two runners on and tying run in scoring position. Corbin Truelove stepped to plate with two outs and delivered an RBI single to score Trevor McDaniel and Tyler took third on the throw to home. Pitts couldn't handle a pitch from McCrary as Tyler scooted home to give the Warriors the 11-10 come from behind win. Betts got a no decision going six innings while giving up six runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and five walks. Skipper picked up the win despite giving up four runs on one hit while walking two. McCrary took the tough luck loss going 6 2/3 innings giving up 11 runs on nine hits. He gave up five walks and struck out four. Byron Scales led the way at the plate for the Warriors collecting three hits and scoring three runs. Tyler and Betts both had two hits and a RBI. Zach Skipper had a hit and two RBIs, Truelove had a hit and RBI and Trevor McDaniel scored four runs. Marked Tree got a big game from Anderson has he had two hits, four RBIs and scored four runs. Adamson had two hits and two RBIs and Wages had a hit and scored three times. Hunt, Pitts and Jagger McCrary had an RBI each.