East Central waited until the late innings to light some fireworks over Halls Ferry Park.

The team from Hurley, a town in northern Jackson County, scored six runs on four hits and three Vicksburg Mudcats’ errors in a 7-5 victory in a winners’ bracket game of the 10-year-olds’ Cal Ripken State Tournament.

East Central advanced to play Philadelphia at 2 p.m. today with a spot in the championship game on the line. The Mudcats, who won two games on Friday, will play Vancleave at noon. With a win, the team will play again at 4.

The Mudcats scored four runs in the second inning on four hits and two East Central errors. Jonah Masterson reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on an Alex Thomas double. Matthew Foley reached on an error and he and Thomas scored on a two-RBI single by Carlisle Koestler for a 3-0 lead. Hunter Bell’s RBI double scored Koestler to make the score 4-0.

East Central scored a run in the bottom of the second on an RBI fielder’s choice by Justin Plummer, but was having trouble figuring out Mudcats’ starting pitcher Chipper Leech.

Leech pitched four innings, allowed one run and struck out three before giving way to Steven Cialone in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Cialone ran into trouble quickly as East Central used four hits and took advantage of costly Mudcat errors to tie the game at 5 before English’s double provided the winning margin. Landon Laughlin and Kyle Rice each had RBIs in the inning.

Laughlin came on in relief in the top of the sixth, and allowed a single to Mason Jerebica as the Mudcats held hope. But Laughlin coaxed three straight groundouts to end the game and strand Jerebica on third base.

After the rocky second inning, East Central pitchers Kaleb Jones, Don White and Laughlin allowed only one run on four hits.

In the first winners’ bracket game, Will Myers singled in the sixth inning to score Keylon Burnside as Philadelphia defeated Meridian 8-7.

Bay St. Louis and Vancleave won two games each on Saturday to stay alive in the losers’ bracket.

Jeff Davis County, North Jackson, Corinth and Orange Grove were eliminated from the 10-team tournament.