Is it still considered a game if only one team shows up to play? In the semifinals and finals round of the 2A-4 District Softball Tournament, the Mansfield Lady Tigers were a double threat as they played back-to-back matches on Saturday, May 2, and completely dominated the show with a combined score of 22-0. The Lady Tigers shutdown Lavaca first in the semifinals as they kept the Lady Arrows grounded 12-0. Freshman, Cole Smith had a great showing as she led the lineup with 3 hits and 4 RBI. Smith also earned 1 run for the Lady Tigers.
Brooklyn Adams
For the District finals, the Lady Tigers found themselves face to face with conference foes the Acorn Lady Tigers and after a complete ambush of Acorn, Mansfield left the field with a 10-0 final score along with the title of 2A-4 District Champions. Mansfield pitcher, Alyson Edwards, held fast for six innings allowing four hits and zero runs while striking out eight. Edwards was an offensive asset as well delivering 3 of the 10 runs. Kiara Thomas and Chloe Creekmore trailed with 2 runs each and Natalie Allison, Brooklyn Adams, and Skylynn Harris sealed 1 apiece.
Natalie Allison
The highlight for Mansfield in the District finals though was the homers duo of Harris and Creekmore. To close out the bottom of the first inning, Skylynn Harris hit an over the river and through the woods grand slam that brought Edwards, Creekmore, and Allison all home. As the game sat quietly for the next three innings, Chloe Creekmore busted through the doors of the bottom of the fifth by orbiting Mansfield’s second homerun which allowed Edwards to score again.
Cole Smith and Serenity Brunson
The Mansfield Lady Tigers are now the conference and district champs and will be flying into Round 1 of Regionals on Thursday, May 6 to take on Decatur. The Lady Tigers hold a 12-4 record with 10 of those games being complete shutouts along with 167 total runs on the season compared to their opponents combined 21.
Alongside Ledford’s win it was an action packed weekend at Tri-State.
B-mod A Feature Winner Cody King making his way around turn 3
The wait was finally over as 60 cars arrived at the track up on the hill in Oklahoma and 90 on the next night. Six classes were on the schedule for Friday night with qualifiers for the USRA classes were held and heats and features for the three other classes. Saturday night saw the features run for Friday night qualifiers with the USRA Modifieds and Grand Nationals taking to the track.
While a lower than usual car count would mean at some times not so exciting races, the crowd was treated to tense moments in the modifieds and thrilling action in the other classes.
In the Factory Stock heat race 12 drivers locked themselves in for the A Feature Saturday night, with Fort Smith’s Dallas Bourland and Wesley Bourne out of Cameron, OK winning their heat races. Several quick cars out of the Southwest Arkansas area showed up and give challenge to the Tri-State regulars. Saturday nights race saw Mineral Springs’ Neil Kemp dueling with Wesley Bourne. Bourne would get the win but disqualified in post race inspection giving the win to Kemp.
2021 Kegger USRA Stock Car winner Neil Kemp
USRA Stock Cars had a small group with only four cars making their way on to the Speedway. Matt French from Tulsa, OK was the Heat race winner in that class. French would return the next night and take the Feature win.
Matt French Kegger USRA Stock Car Winner
USRA B-Mod, some post race shuffling saw five cars drop from great finishing appearances. This group also had 12 cars locked in for the A Feature on Saturday. Fanshawe’s Cody King would take the 510 machine from the pole and take the win with a hard charging Kyle Slader coming up 11 spots to finish second.
Mini-Stocks had five cars entered for the Friday night portion of the Kegger. Jordan Thomas from Howe, OK would take the win the heat race. The A Feature set the tone on the type of racing everyone would see through the weekend. Attrition would take it’s toll in the class leaving Thomas and Chris Brock to battle it out in the A Feature. They would swap the lead in different areas of the track over several laps, with Brock making the move out of turn four to seal the deal with a drag race to the checkered flag.
Mini-Stock winner Chris Brock
Front Wheel Drive had nine entries vying in the two heat races. John Willard would take heat one with West Fork’s Scott Stokes taking the second heat. Willard would start from the pole and lead flag to flag to be a first time winner.
“I’ve been coming here since 1999, I have never won a feature race here. My wife is going to love this!”
Front Wheel Drive Winner John Willard
USRA Modified saw 28 entries from 5 states with the farthest being from North Dakota and Arizona. R.C. Whitwell, Jason Hughes, Brent Holman, and Mike Hansen would take the Heats. Greenwood’s Kyle Ledford and Lonnie Robins would take the B Feature to get locked in for the A Feature with the other top 4 finishers. Watts, Oklahoma’s Jason Hughes would climb three positions and take the win in the A Feature.
Kegger USRA Modified winner Jason Hughes in action in 2020
Grand National had 19 entries with three heat races. Johnny Coates would win the first heat with Tri-State Super Stock Showdown winner Gean Davlin and Billy Wheeler taking the next two. The A Feature had Tulsa, Ok’s Jason Sperry getting the win.
Jason Sperry Kegger Grand National Winner
Economy/360 Modified had an intense multi-lap battle between Kyle Ledford and Cody King. Midway through the race King went to navigate around lap traffic and hit the right rear of the car on the wall going into turn one. From there it was all Ledford as he made his way around the track getting the checkered flag.
Economy/360 Modified winner Kyle Ledford
The track will be in action on the opening night of the Steel Horse Rally with their regular weekly classes running on Thursday. The following night the bikes take to the track and bring the Steel Horse party to Oklahoma. Vendors and several contests are on tap for the third installment of the Steel Horse Shootout.
Donald Edgar Hamilton, better known as Don, of Waldron, Arkansas passed from this life, Sunday, May 2, 2021 in Waldron, Arkansas surrounded by his loving family. Don was born March 5, 1956 in Grand Prairie, Texas to Jack Hamilton and Agnus (Chandler) Hamilton. He was 65 years old.
Don was retired from the construction business. He enjoyed listening to old country music, doing word puzzles, talking on the phone and visiting with people. It goes without saying that he has been accused of never meeting a stranger. Everywhere Don went, he found someone to share stories with. A short trip to the store could result in a 2 hour venture. Don loved his family and friends and spending time with them.
Don leaves behind to cherish his memory, one daughter, Lacey Hamilton and fiance’ Taylor Mobley of Waldron, Arkansas, one sister Edwina Penny and husband of Tommy, and one brother Thomas Hamilton all of Texas, as well as a fiance’ Linda Bond of Waldron, Arkansas. Don will be missed by all that knew him and the many whose lives he impacted including a host of nieces, nephews, friends and loved ones.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Agnus Hamilton, wife Monica D. Hamilton and one son Donald Hamilton Jr.
Don’s life celebration will be 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at The Harvest Church with Rev. Billy Harwell officiating. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donald “Don” Edgar Hamilton, please visit our floral store.
David Lee Burdic of Waldron, Arkansas of Waldron, Arkansas passed from this life, Friday, April 30, 2021 in Russellville, Arkansas. David was born March 9, 1946 in Salamanca, New York to Charles H. Burdic and Doris (Prichard) Burcic. He was 75 years old.
David was a machinist in the iron business. When he wasn’t working he enjoyed wood working, and building things working with his hands. His favorite thing to do was tinker with cars. David especially loved and cared for his fury friends from over the years. He looked forward to spending time with family and friends making memories to last a life time.
David leaves behind to cherish his memory, his loving wife Cheryl of the home, step children: Geoffrey Grotberg and wife Amanda, Jennifer Hinnamen and husband Chris and Erika Hernandez al of Texas as well as his sisters, Rita Potts of Texas and Donna Greenwood of California, and sisters in law, Pat Burdic and Katie Burdic of New York. David is also survived by grandchildren: Jaya, Destinee, Shawn, Eva, Mark, Nicholas and Josh, and great grandchildren: Emma and Shawn Jr. David will be missed by all that knew him and the many whose lives he impacted including a host of nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.
David is preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Doris, and siblings: Robert Burdic, Ray ( Butch) Burdic, Jim Burdic, Margret Greathouse, Jo Anne Burdic, Esther Miller, Bea Kranking, Charles Burdic, Francis Smith and his mother in law, Deloris Johnson.
A private family service will be held at a later date. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of David Lee Burdic, please visit our floral store.
Pictured: Mansfield’s senior girls track team wins the 2A Region 4 District Track and Field Championships on April 27 at home
In regard to district track championships, Mansfield’s senior girls have had over a decade of dominance. Recently, the group was coming off a three-year pause from its last title defense. On April 27 in front of their home crowd, the pause was over and the champs were champions once more.
The Lady Tigers found the depth to run away with it’s newest conference championship. As a bonus, the Mansfield men came together to take second place at those same district finals.
Mansfield’s Tommy Phang, John Branche, Tyler Escalante, and Ryan Hayslip stick around for the runner-up trophy at the 2A-4 District track meet.
From 2006 to 2017, the MHS women won twelve consecutive conference titles in track and field. An unexpected fall in the last race of the 2018 district championships left Mansfield two points shy of their 13th consecutive conference win. A switch to a different district in 2019 followed by the Covid related shutdown of the 2020 season left the Lady Tigers once again winless in conference championships until this past week.
The Tigers’ Tuesday night lineup saw 14 of 19 Lady Tigers have All-District performances in pursuit of the title. By finishing first or second in their specific event, the All-District performers also advanced to the state round scheduled to begin on May 5 in Gurdon.
Senior shot and discus specialist Brooke Wright gives a smile as she competed in a “victory lap” for the Tigers. Wright ran a race at the conference meet for the first time in her Mansfield career. There was an opening on the Lady Tigers’ depth chart in the 400m dash, so Wright offered her services. Often running the distance as part of her warmup routine, the college volleyball signee scored an eighth place ribbon for her team to go along with her shot put victory at districts
Along with top placements in 15 of 18 events, Mansfield also produced multiple places in all events. The results propelled the Mansfield women to 315 total points for the 2A Region 4 crown.
Acorn put up a fight stealing 9 victories in individual races and a couple of field events. The blue and gold Tigers could not, however, match the depth of the home town red and white Tigers. The best they could muster was 185 points for the second-place plaque.
Reverse fortunes followed in the men’s division as Acorn took top honors with Mansfield finishing second in the team standings.
Tyler Escalante
Acorn’s men totaled 260 points through a dominating performance in the sprints and distance races. Mansfield loaded up in the throws and pole vault along with solid times in the races to accumulate 129 points for the runner-up trophy.
Mansfield’s senior girls showed athleticism in all areas as the team qualified to state in all events except the 100m dash, 400m dash, and 1600m run.
State contenders Brooke Wright and Skylynn Harris won the shot and discus respectively. Truth be known, the pair won their teammate’s specialty event as the two sat out their primary event in hopes of qualifying another Mansfield player to state.
Skylynn Harris
“It was a strategy both girls accepted,” said Mansfield coach John Mackey “We had several conversations about how to get the most competitive team to state. They each agreed it was worth a try.”
Wright had already pre-qualified to state in the discus with a career-high 101’ 3” achieved in Van Buren. Harris already punched her ticket to Gurdon with a 32’ 3” push of the shot put during a regular-season home meet.
Dual sport athlete Natalie Allison showed out in her first full meet of the season for Mansfield. Obligated to softball for most of the season as well as dealing with some back issues discovered late in the basketball season, Allison made the most of her district schedule.
The sophomore pointed in five events and qualified to state in three. Those three All-District marks came from a win in the 4x200m relay and a pair of seconds in the high jump and triple jump.
“Natalie has the skills to be a fantastic track athlete,” noted Mackey. “She is so valuable to all sports here at our school. We (the track team) just don’t get to see her as much as we would like. You saw a terrific performance today. The way Natalie started, it looked like a highpoint caliber performance. She did most of that on raw natural ability.”
Victor Steffen
Fellow sophomore Madelen Jones, one of three Lady Tigers to complete a full slate of events, was actually the team’s leading scorer. Behind four third place marks, an individual second place, and a relay win, Jones tallied 34.5 points.
Junior Faith Rainwater was close behind with 33 points for the hometown Tigers. Rainwater qualified to state in five of her six events. The All-State cross country runner won the pole vault, 4x800m relay, 4x100m relay, and had two second-place distance races.
Senior Makayla Strutton added 30 points to the cause. She won both hurdle races with two more personal records.
In the 100m hurdles, Strutton led a trio of Tigers for a medal sweep with her league-leading 17.22 finish. She also led another one-two-three finish in the 300m hurdles with a career-best time of 52.31.
“Makayla has really been pushing hard these past few weeks,” smiled her coach. “Each week she has found a way to improve among some real challengers. Most of those challenges come from her own backyard. Danielle (Lillie) and Madelen are right there too in the 100m hurdles.”
For the Tiger men, Bri Sanderson continued his stronghold on the shot and discus rings. The senior has had historic marks throughout the regular season and punctuated that with two individual conference wins.
Sanderson threw 42’ 5” in the shot put for the gold medal. He also claimed gold in the discus with a 144’ 10” marking.
Sanderson’s nearest challenger was teammate Shawn Brown. Brown tossed in a 39’ 6” shot put landing for the silver medal. He also whirled the discus 106’ 2” for another silver reward.
Faith Rainwater
With the powerful one-two combination in throws, Mansfield’s men put in an early scare towards the visiting Acorn team.
Senior Victor Steffen, a late entry into the 110m hurdles, perpetuated that scare tactic with a first-place time over the high hurdles. His finish line crossing came in at 20.03 seconds.
With the win, Steffen advanced to state along with Sanderson and Brown. The Tiger’s leading scorer also moved beyond districts by taking second in the 300m hurdles (48.75) and sharing a win in the 4x200m cooperative.
John Branche, Tommy Phang, and Tyler Escalante joined Steffen in that 2 lap relay. The four boys rounded the course in 1:41.02 for the win.
Phang also qualified to state in the 200m dash. The sophomore went 24.23 in the half lap individual race. He was second place overall.
Escalante followed suit in the 400m dash. The junior went 55.71 to take silver and advance beyond the district.
Tommy Phang
Mansfield dominated the pole vault by going first and second in both women’s and men’s divisions. Along with Rainwater’s win (7’ 0”) for the girls, Ryan Hayslip took the boy’s vertical jump at a new personal record of 11’ 0”.
Pole vault coach Josh Bryan also produced runner-ups Haylee Helms (7’ 0”) for the girls and Peyton Martin (10’ 6”) for the men.
For additional points, first time jumper John Branche went 7’ 0” for fourth place from the Tiger Vault Club.
Mansfield’s girls won every relay race over the course of the night. Each of the four times were season bests.
Hope Rainwater, Jadelynn Wood, Darby Jones, and Faith Rainwater went 11:54.05 in the 4x800m grouping. Helms, Shelby Cole, Allison, and Wood went 2:03.46 in the 4x200m race.
Danielle Lillie, Makayla Strutton, and Madelen Jones
Faith Rainwater, Jones, Strutton, and Danielle Lillie went 54.72 in the 4x100m sprint. Harleigh Mars, Lillie, Strutton, and Wood highlighted the 4x400m relay with a 4:41.95 victory in the last race.
All eleven Lady Tigers entered in the relays advanced to state and qualified for All-District honors.
Mars also earned those same two levels of distinction with a second-place finish in the 300m hurdles. LIkewise, Darby Jones made the marks through second-place ties in both the 800m runs and 3200m runs. Madelen Jones took the accolades with a pre-qualifying time in the 100m hurdles (17.48) and a second-place long jump measurement.
Sarah Fisher snuck into state with a silver medal in the 200m dash. The junior also pointed in both the shot put and discus.
Katlynn Moore, Alyssa James, Seven Sanderson, Alayna Turner, and Raine Hecox all scored for Mansfield with top eight placements in their individual events.
Ethan Streets competed in the men’s 400m dash at district for the Tigers. He will be elevated to an alternate on the men’s 4x200m relay card as that squad approaches state.
Getting your home ready to put on the market can be a stressful experience, whether the stress comes from major renovations or making sure everything is perfect for showings. But there are several small changes to increase the value of your home that don’t need to be significant financial investments or long-term projects. Look around your house and consider what can be changed and what will best sell your home to potential buyers.
Do Your Kitchen Appliances Need To Be Upgraded?
The first thing you should check is whether or not your appliances are outdated. It can be easy to keep the kitchen appliances you first moved in with and never get any new ones—but by the time you move out, such outdated appliances won’t impress anyone. Definitely check for this factor.
Modern and Uniform
Make your appliances match with one another and update them when necessary. Potential buyers are going to be looking for devices they can use for the time being without having to worry about replacing them immediately.
Do You Have the Best Lighting To Showcase Your Home?
How you illuminate your home will have an impact on how buyers will perceive it. If you have older lightbulbs, such as incandescent or fluorescent lights, they can give off an unappealing glow that makes your home look shabby and outdated.
LED Lights To Show off What You Have
LEDs come with a number of benefits for your home, but they’re also the best light fixtures to show buyers what your home looks like. LED lights give off a clean and even glow that doesn’t strain the eyes, giving your home a modern and attractive look.
What Is Your Landscaping Situation?
The outside of your home is what may initially attract potential buyers to look at the inside. The state of your yard may also be an indication of how well you treat the inside; if you took the time to make your exterior presentable, the interior might look even better.
May Be As Simple As Cutting the Grass
You don’t necessarily have to import expensive plants from around the world to have good landscaping. It can be as quick as everyday lawn maintenance. Make sure the grass is green, the flowers stand tall and healthy, and there are no patches of dirt marring your lawn.
The Sooner, the Better
The longer your home is on the market, the more people think something’s wrong with it, and therefore assume that it’s undesirable to purchase (such as plumbing problems, as an example.) Make whatever changes may be necessary—whether it’s small changes to your home or larger projects—to interest buyers. Always look for areas of improvement, and don’t be afraid to make changes wherever necessary if it’ll help your home look better.
The 3A-4 district softball and baseball district tournaments came to a rousing conclusion on Saturday afternoon in Booneville as the Lady Bearcats won a thriller over the Paris Lady Eagles by a score of 3-1, and the Danville Little Johns defeated Paris by a score of 5-1, to win the 3A-4 conference championships.
The Lady Bearcats were led by their outstanding freshman pitcher, Lexi Franklin, who went the distance giving up just one run in the championship win for Booneville. Lady Eagles Jadyn Hart picked up the loss after going the distance for Paris. The game was a battle of two outstanding teams who will now go into next week’s regional tournament as the number one and two seeds from the 3A-4 and could possibly meet again deep into the state playoffs. Booneville has now defeated the Lady Eagles three times on the season by a margin of less than two runs per game, and fans from both schools would love to see the two Logan County schools meet again, perhaps at Bogle Park on the campus of the University of Arkansas. But, before that can happen, there is a lot of softball yet to be played, and it all begins on Thursday in Harrison.
Resident Press Photo
The baseball Eagles, fresh off of their big win over Booneville on Friday night, faced a very good Danville Little Johns team that entered the tournament as the number one seed from the south division of the 3A-4 conference. The Little Johns are very deep in good pitching, and that was the difference on Saturday. Paris threw its top two pitchers in the win on Friday night, and the day two rotation of pitching for Danville was more effective for the Little Johns. Paris battled hard, but left runners aboard in the loss by not being able to come up with the key base hit to score runs. In the end, the Danville pitching was able to secure the win for the Little Johns, and Danville will go to Harrison next week at the top seed from the 3A-4. The Eagles will play on Thursday as the number two seed from 3A-4.
Resident Press Photo
The championship softball game between Paris and Booneville was classic and was well-played by both schools. Many big plays occurred in the game, but no play was bigger than the collision that occurred in the Lady Eagles’ half of the sixth inning when the Paris base runner and the Booneville short stop collided on a ball hit to the third base side of the infield. It was a violent collision that, thankfully, did not result in either player being injured. The outcome of the play was the Paris runner who was running from second base to third base being called out, and the Paris hitter being sent back to first base. The play resulted in one Paris run being called out that could have possibly scored, a second runner not advancing into scoring position, and two outs being recorded in the inning.
Resident Press Photos
Resident Press Photos
Sports are full of “what ifs” and “could haves”, but depending on which fan perspective you look at the play, the bottom line is that it was a big call for both teams that occurred late in the game. In a classic pitching battle between two great pitchers, runs are critical and are in short supply, and the play was huge for both teams.
Resident Press Photo
The 3A regional will be held at the Equity Bank Sports Complex in Harrison. Valley Springs High School is the host school for the tournaments, but the games will actually be played in Harrison. Resident Press will have a feature on Tuesday evening previewing the eight 3A-4 teams that will be playing in the baseball and softball regionals. Teams will be looking to win their first regional tournament game to secure a spot in the state tournaments.
Resident Press Photo
In the third place games that were played earlier in the day, Hackett earned the number three seed in next week’s regional softball tournament with a win over Charleston. The Lady Tigers will go to Harrison next week as a four seed. The Booneville Bearcats defeated Charleston for the three seed in the regional baseball tournament. Charleston will also be the four seed in the regional baseball tournament.
Congratulations to all of the district tournament finalists and Resident Press wishes all of our teams from the 3A-4 the best of luck in this coming week’s regional tournament. All four teams are very strong and should represent the conference well.
And one last mention to the fans who came out to the sports complex in Booneville to cheer on their teams! It was a great atmosphere and Resident Press hopes to see everyone in Harrison next week!
See you at the ballpark in Harrison on Thursday! Travel safely, and enjoy the great regional tournament action!
Equity Bank Sports Complex, Harrison, Arkansas. Site of the 2021 3A Regional Baseball / Softball Tournaments. Photo Credit: Wikimedia.org (ttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Equity_Bank_Sports_Complex_Field_View_Harrison%2C_Arkansas.jpg)
It’s been dubbed the crown jewel of the City of Waldron. And, indeed, it is. Forester-Davis Memorial Park is situated in the heart of the city, just off West 6th Street.
City officials and community members came together on Saturday, May 1 at 3 p.m. to dedicate the park.
The Master of Ceremonies, former Mayor Neil Cherry. Cherry extended his gratitude towards those who worked effortlessly to plan, construct and finalize the development of the park.
“To the employees, Brandon Nelson and all of his crew…they have done a wonderful job. From the construction to the upkeep, we thank you.”
Former City Clerk/Treasurer Sherry Johnston
Cherry went on to recognize those who were integral throughout the park’s development. Councilman David Tull and former City Clerk/Treasurer Sherry Johnston were among those recognized.
“This park is an example of what can be done when we all pitch in,” shared Johnston.
Waldron Mayor David Millard
Johnston went on to add special thanks to Cody Martin, Tyson, Weigh Tech, McClelland Consulting Engineers, Inc., and Silco Construction for their work and contributions.
“I am so proud of this park,” shared Council member June Haas. “I see kids out here all the time. And you know what they say, the laughter of a child is the best thing you can have.”
The names Walker and Edwards are not the names of an investment or a law firm in Paris. They are, however, a dynamic duo of power and finesse. On Friday night in the 3A-4 district tournament semifinals, the two outstanding players combined for seven innings on the mound to get the win over Booneville, as well as each hitting home runs in the game to contribute offensively to the win. Freshman Konnor Edwards made a crucial defensive play at the plate to tag what would have been the tying run late in the game. Junior Duke Walker started the game, pitching quality innings, and hitting a mammoth home run over the center field fence. The Booneville baseball diamond is 350 feet to dead center, and Walker’s ball cleared the fence by at least 20 feet. And when it was all over, it was Paris hanging on in a thrilling 3A-4 semifinal win over the host school Booneville Bearcats.
The Eagles Freshman Sensation, Konnor Edwards (5) Tags Out the Tying Run in the Sixth Inning (Resident Press Photos)
On the softball field, it was the Jadyn Hart show as she once again pitched a complete game for the semifinal win over Charleston, 10-0. Hart pitched a no-hitter in the game and continues her march to all state honors. Charleston had been a hot team as of late, winning their way into the district semifinals and into next week’s regional tournament.
The Lady Eagles’ win over Charleston sets up a big rematch in the finals with Booneville. The Lady Bearcats defeated Paris earlier in a cross-over divisional conference game by the score of 2-1. In that game, Paris had multiple opportunities to tie or take the lead, but ultimately stranded runners on base. Saturday’s final will be the match-up of the two best teams in the conference and will be the game that everyone wants to see.
The baseball Eagles, now winners of their last seven, continue to come together as a team. That was clearly the case on Friday night as the Eagles led the entire way, but made big defensive plays, both at the plate, and on two hard-hit fly balls deep to center field that were ran down by Blake Martines. If Martines does not make both catches, the outcome could have been much different. The Eagles refused to fold under the relentless effort of the Bearcats to take the lead. It was a great high school baseball game, and with the win, Paris advances to Saturday’s final against Danville.
Junior Duke Walker Hit a Tape Measure Blast for the Eagles (Resident Press Photo)
The game to determine the third and fourth seeds in the softball regional will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Hackett Lady Hornets will play the Charleston Lady Tigers with the winner advancing to regionals as a three seed and the loser as a four seed. In the baseball bracket, the Booneville Bearcats will play the Charleston Tigers for the three and four seeds. That game will also begin at 11:30 a.m.
The softball and baseball championship games will be played after the completion of the third place games. The winner of the championship game will earn the district tournament championship and the top seed in next week’s regional tournaments in Harrison. The loser will go to regionals as two seeds.
The Eagles Blake Martines (1) is lifted in celebration by Paris catcher, Nate Henderson (9) (Resident Press Photo)
And one last thought. I would like to recognize the Booneville school district, support personnel, and all associated with the Booneville baseball and softball programs for the fine work they did to make the fields playable for Friday’s games. After heavy rainfall, the tournament was only delayed one day, and the fields were in good shape for the games on Friday. This takes a lot of work, and all those responsible should be thanked and congratulated.
So in a few hours, we will know the seedings for baseball and softball in next week’s regional tournament. We will also crown a district champion in both sports, and we will then turn our sights to the next step in the process of winning a state title. Eight teams combined will leave Booneville Saturday afternoon with championship dreams, and Resident Press would like to wish them all good luck.
It’s been a great season and has been a lot of fun to cover….but it’s not over yet!
Joy Mae Stanley Gilchrist, age 90, died Sunday, April 25, 2021, at the home of her daughter, Marcia Gilchrist Johnson in Waldron, Arkansas.
Joy was born November 2, 1930, in Marshalltown, Iowa to C.P. (Bill) Stanley and Maggie Kelly Stanley. She graduated from Marshalltown High in 1948 and worked at Smith Music Company, before her marriage to James Gilbert (Jim) Gilchrist in Marshalltown on June 20, 1950. Jim preceded her in death, on October 23, 2018, also in Waldron, AR. Jim had careers at both Lennox Industries and Fisher Controls in Marshalltown and was active in community recreational and athletic activities.
Joy was a loving, fun mom, and is survived by her seven children. They include James Jay (Pam) Gilchrist of Fort Smith AR; Mike (Elaine) Gilchrist of Toledo IA; Joni Gilchrist of Des Moines IA; Janet (Mark) Bierwirth of Kansas City MO; Marcia (Jon) Johnson of Waldron AR; Maureen (Shawn) Hodson of Marshalltown; and Mary (Tom) Anderson of Davidson NC.
She is also survived by 17 grandchildren: Matthew Gilchrist, Anna Gilchrist Murphy, Joel Gilchrist, Joe Gilchrist, Peter Gilchrist, Jessica Vereb, Jerry Joe Bloom, Dustin Bierwirth, Alexis “Ale'” Johnson, Travis Gummert, Seth Gummert, Molly Gummert, Landi Hodson, Jeremiah Moore (Andrea Hansen), Rachel Anderson, Ben Anderson, and Nick Anderson. She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren: Adelaide “Ada” Gilchrist, Augustin “Austin” Gilchrist, Jamizen Murphy, Naomi Gilchrist, Allison Gilchrist, Joey Bloom, Lillian Bloom, Memphis Bierwirth, Journey McCart, Isaiah Moore, Adyn Moore, Emma Hansen, and Joscelyn Weig.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her brother, William R. Stanley. She has a surviving sister, Wilma Lakey of Marshalltown, and a brother, Jim Stanley of Pueblo, CO.
In addition to mothering seven children, Joy worked at various times at the Marshall County DHS Food Assistance Office, Lowe’s Flowers, and babysitting. She was a published poet, and always kept a notebook of lyrics about family, nature, and life. Despite affliction with dementia in her final years, she continued with poems, notes, and crossword puzzles. She and Jim traveled frequently during retirement, to the Gulf Coast, to visit grandchildren and friends, and to Arkansas where they eventually settled with their daughter.
Joint funeral services for Joy and Jim Gilchrist will include: a visitation on Thursday, April 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown, a Vigil Service Thursday, April 29 at 7:30 PM at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home and a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM Friday, April 30 at St. Henry’s Church in Marshalltown. A reception will follow in the parish hall. A picnic for family and friends will be held Saturday, May 1 at 1:00 PM at the Kiwanis Park shelter. Masks will be required at all events. Friday’s services will be streamed online at https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell-Family-Funeral-Home-99280714047/.
Joy will be buried with her husband, James Gilchrist, “Gilly,” at the Garden of the Cross in Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown.
Arrangements are being coordinated between Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown and Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron. For questions or condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joy Mae Gilchrist, please visit our floral store.
