State sports briefs

OUTDOORS Martens takes Bassmasters lead

Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., took the lead in the Bassmasters Elite Series West Point Lake Battle on Friday in LaGrange, Ga.

Martens leads the tournament after weighing in 24 pounds, 14 ounces over the first two days. He is in front by one ounce over Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Ala. Vinson’s 24-13 two-day total kept him in second place, the same finish he had Thursday.

Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., was third with 23-3. Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas, who led Thursday, weighed 7-4 Friday and is in fourth place. He had weighed 15-14 Thursday. Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., is in fifth at 22-10.

Among the Arkansans, Mark Davis of Mount Ida is in 20th (19-1), Kevin Short of Mayflower is in 31st (16-10), Scott Rook of Little Rock is in 42nd (15-0), Mike McClelland of Bella Vista is in 45th (14-13) and Stephen Browning of Hot Springs is in 76th (11-11).

BASEBALL Harris,Ward honored by GAC

Southern Arkansas shortstop Davis Harris was named the Great American Conference’s player of the year and Ouachita Baptist junior Davis Ward was named its pitcher of the year Friday.

Harris, a senior from Houston who transferred from Lamar, hit .361 with 8 home runs, 53 RBI and 13 stolen bases. Ward, a junior from Little Rock Christian, went 9-3 with a 1.74 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings.

Southern Arkansas’ Timothy Buchanan was named freshman of the year after going 8-1 with a 3.90 ERA in 9 starts, and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Zach Saunders was named coach of the year.

The Muleriders (36-14), who had a league-high 10 all-conference selections, will be the No. 1 seed in the GAC Tournament that begins Sunday in Enid, Okla.

SOFTBALL Beasley leads No. 22 Arkansas by Auburn

No. 22 Arkansas defeated Auburn 6-0 Friday night at Bogle Park behind a complete-game shutout by sophomore Kimmy Beasley.

Beasley had a career-high 15 strikeouts while allowing just 4 hits and 1 walk.

In the third inning, Devon Wallace drew her second walk of the game and became the SEC’s single-season walks leader with 67 as she passed Cassie Reilly-Boccia of Alabama, who set the record in 2010.

Amanda Geile led Arkansas’ offense with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, scoring Stephanie Canfield who started the scoring earlier in the inning with a one-out double.

Sierra Bronkey added a two-run double in the fifth inning for a 5-0 lead. The Razorbacks scored their final run later in the fifth on an Auburn error.

Sports, Pages 25 on 05/04/2013

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