Mississippi Mudcats use small-ball to win.

Longtime St. Aloysius baseball coach Joe Graves is trying to bring a small-ball approach to the Mississippi Mudcats’ 11-year-olds’ All-Star team.

The approach worked again for a second straight win as the Mudcats ripped out 14 hits in beating Stone County 11-6 Friday night in a second-round game at the Cal Ripken State Tournament at Halls Ferry Park.

&#8220We hit the baseball in crucial situations which is something we want,” said Graves, who’s now the Vicksburg Parks and Recreation Director. &#8220We want to be a small-ball team, using the bunt to move people over. It’s all about getting quality at-bats and that’s either a hit, moving someone over, or taking the count to at least five pitches.”

The Mudcats’ top six in the lineup either had two hits, drove in at least two runs or scored two runs. Reed Evans led the way going 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Cam Upton also had three hits and scored twice, while Michael Mason drove in two off two hits and Bully Bufkin added two hits.

&#8220That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Graves said of his middle four hitters who combined for nine RBIs.

The Mudcats built an 11-2 lead into the fifth inning before Stone rallied for two runs in the bottom half of the fifth and sixth.

&#8220We didn’t play at all for the first three innings and then by the fourth we started playing as a team,” Stone coach Brad Fairley said. &#8220It’s something positive we can take into Saturday.”

The Mudcats’ win moves them into a 6 p.m. winners’ bracket game against Philadelphia, which advanced with an 11-3 win over Gulfport Friday afternoon. Stone will face Gulfport at noon in a second round elimination game.

In other action, Orange Grove nipped East Central 2-1 and advanced to play Florence, which beat North Jackson 7-2.

Pitching wise, the Mudcats got another strong start, this time by Reed Evans. He struck out five in three scoreless innings. Game 1 pitchers Zach Boyd and Matthew Jones finished up the last three innings, giving up four runs, three earned, off seven hits.

Kyle Morrison took the loss for Stone. The offense was led by Parker Smith, who had two doubles and drove in two. Fant Carpenter also had two hits.

Mudcats 11, Booneville 2.

Zach Boyd and Matthew Jones combined for 14 strikeouts to lead the Mudcats to an opening win in the 11-year-old Cal Ripken State Tournament Friday morning.

Boyd fanned eight in tossing three scoreless innings and left the mound with an 11-0 lead. Jones pitched the final three innings, striking out six while allowing two runs off a hit, walk and a wild pitch.

&#8220I was really proud of my pitching,’ said Mudcats coach Marshall Upton. &#8220Zach and Matt did a good job of hitting their spots. I imagine that 90 percent of Zach’s pitches were on the money.”

At the plate, the Mudcats struck for 11 runs off 12 hits. Hunter Austin went 3-for-4 while Boyd was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Cam Upton had two hits, scored three runs and drove in two off a third inning single to cap the second of two, five-run innings for the Mudcats.

Jay Ward lasted just 1 1/3 innings to take the loss for Booneville. Kenny Geno had two hits to lead the offense.

12-year-olds’ tournament.

Vicksburg 2, Booneville 1.

Meridian 4, Vicksburg 3.

Jake Busby threw a two-hitter and Jonathan Clay had two hits as the Vicksburg All-Stars won the opener of the Cal Ripken State Tournament in Jackson on Friday. Millan Nasif and Cody Isaac each doubled in the win.

The team fell in the second game, 4-3, to Meridian. Isaac hit a two-run home run as Vicksburg battled back from a 4-1 deficit.

Mudcat 10-year-olds win two on first day.

Jonah Masterson of the Mississippi Mudcats’ 10-year-olds’ All-Stars was masterful in blanking the Orange Grove Crushers, 5-0.

Masterson allowed just one hit and struck out 11 in leading the Mudcats to their second win on Friday in the Cal Ripken 10-year-olds’ State Tournament at Halls Ferry Park.

Orange Grove was hitless until the fifth when Matt Goodwin broke up the no-hit bid by Masterson with a liner over first base with one out. Goodwin reached second but was stranded there. It was the furtherest any Crush runner reached.

&#8220Jonah came out throwing strikes and that’s how we got us a goose egg,” Mudcats coach Jim Leech said. &#8220We played good defense behind him and swung the bats. We went to more of a small-ball game with some bunts in trying to put pressure on their pitcher.”

The Mudcats got two runs in their first at-bat against Orange Grove starter Darren Cruse. Steven Busma’s RBI hit was the key blow.

The Mudcats got three more runs in the third to go up 5-0. Chipper Leech’s two-run double highlighted the inning.

Leech relieved Masterson in the sixth, striking out two to give the Mudcats’ staff 13 K’s for the game.

With the win, the Mudcats advance to play East Central tonight at 7. Orange Grove will face the winner of this morning’s elimination game between Bay St. Louis and Corinth.

Mudcats 22, Jeff Davis 7.

The Mudcat 10-year-olds pounded Jeff Davis in their tournament opener. At one point, the Mudcats reeled off eight straight hits to key a 10-run third inning.

Jonah Masterson went 2-for-2 and scored four runs to lead the way. Curtis Ross had two hits and scored three times.

Steven Busma went the first three innings to grab the win. The only damage was a three-run homer in the first by Jeff Davis’ Curtis Mikell that gave his team a 3-0 lead.

Mikell added a double and a two-run single in the fourth to cap his five-RBI game.

Meridian 16, N. Jackson 6.

Mason Woolridge hit two doubles and a single to lead Meridian to victory. Gage Hagan and Will Stokes added a single and a double in the victory.

Philadelphia 13, Vancleave 8.

Joseph Wills singled and doubled, and Will Myers had a pair of base hits to lead Philadelphia. Zach Whittle doubled in the win.

Brandon Nicholson singled twice and doubled, and Roman Moran had a pair of singles in the loss.

East Central 10, Alcorn 0.

East Central pitchers allowed four hits in recording the shutout.