Josh Hill, left, and Adam Lee of the Vicksburg Heat look on after receiving their third-place medals at the 11-year-olds’ Cal Ripken state tournament at Halls Ferry Park on Monday. The Heat lost to Meridian, 6-3, after winning five straight games to get within one game of the championship. At right, Vicksburg’s Keaton Sanders (32) slides into second with a stolen base as Meridian’s Dallas Hannah misses the tag in the sixth inning..(The Vicksburg Post/JON GIFFIN)

[07/16/02]With one swing of the bat, Cameron Thomas put an end to a whirlwind week and the Vicksburg Heat’s season.

Thomas belted a bases-clearing triple in the top of the seventh inning to propel Meridian past the Vicksburg Heat, 6-3, in the 11-year-olds’ Cal Ripken state tournament at Halls Ferry Park on Monday.

“It was a fastball, high,” said Thomas, whose triple sailed over the right fielder’s head and hit the fence on one hop, allowing three runs to score to break a 2-2 tie. “I thought he was going to catch it, but I saw him come in and I knew he wouldn’t get it.”

Thomas then scored on a Jonathan Bartlett single to give Meridian a 6-2 lead.

The Heat, who battled back from a loss in the opening game of the tournament on Friday, scored one in the bottom of the seventh, but pitcher Dallas Hannah struck out the final Heat batter to preserve the win.

The Heat finished third in the tournament, after opening the day with a 10-3 win over Gulfport’s Bayou View.

“We missed some chances tonight, but that team there, they finished runner-up in the world series last year,” Heat coach William “Boozer” Emerson said. “They are a good, scrappy bunch.”

Keaton Sanders, who threw a no-hitter against Stone County on Saturday, took the loss. He allowed all four runs in the seventh inning.

Kurt Cooksey pitched the maximum six innings and gave up a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. He finished with seven strikeouts and allowed just three hits two in the fifth inning.

“Kurt threw the game of his life,” Emerson said. “We were probably a line drive away from winning this thing, but our kids laid it on the line and I am proud of that.”

The Heat had two golden opportunities in the fifth and sixth innings, but could not push any runs across against Thomas.

Adam Lee led off the fifth with a walk and Josh Hill reached on a botched fielder’s choice. A double steal gave Vicksburg runners on second and third with no outs, but Thomas retired the Nos. 3, 4, and 5 hitters in order.

In the sixth, Jared Thames reached on a walk and Keaton Sanders, running for Thames, stole second, but again the Heat couldn’t score.

The two runs they did get came in the third inning on a bases-loaded error.

Ryan Ferrington had an RBI single in the seventh for the Heat and Travis Thornell had a single and scored a run in the loss.

“You’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some,” Emerson said. “That’s going to happen. We have nothing to hold our heads down about, though.”

Vicksburg 10, Gulfport 3

Before falling to Meridian, the Heat won their first game Monday against Gulfport Bayou View.

Josh Hill went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Kurt Cooksey was 2-for-2 with two doubles and two runs scored for Vicksburg.

Colten Symmes was 2-for-2 and scored a run for Bayou View.

Meridian 3, Clinton 2

Jake Watkins hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the fifth inning to give Meridian a win over previously undefeated Clinton. The teams will play again at 5 p.m. today at Halls Ferry Park for the 11-year-olds’ state championship.

Clayton Kabbes went 2-for-3 and scored a run for Clinton.