[07/09/01] The Vicksburg Hurricanes came one run short of forcing a state championship game, falling to Bayou View 3-2 on Sunday.

“We were tired and wore out,” coach Randy Martin-Nez said. “They played as hard as you can play.”

After beating Meridian earlier in the afternoon, the Hurricanes needed to beat the Gulfport team to force a deciding title game, which would have been Monday.

Still, the state runner-up Hurricanes earned a trip to the regional tournament in Berryville, Ark.

They leave July 19.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Vicksburg commited two errors and gave up a walk to keep Bayou View in the inning. Blake Price drove in the winning run as the Gators were able to capitalize on the Hurricanes’ mistakes.

The Hurricanes bounced back from an early 2-0 deficit.

Darrick White scored Vicksburg’s first run in the third on a wild pitch. White scored again in the fifth after a sacrifice fly by Pierson Waring to tie it 2-2.

Ryno Martin-Nez went 2-for-3 and Jimmie Elliott went 2-for-2 to lead the Hurricanes.

Bayou View jumped on Vicksburg in the first inning before Ryno Martin-Nez came in to bail out the Hurricanes. Kendall Noble drove in both runs.

Winning pitcher Blake Price struck out four in three innings of work.

“At the being of the season, we had our sights on a state championship and we got the state-runner-up,” Randy Martin-Nez said. “I love every one of them and it took all 12 of them to get us where we are now.”

Hurricanes 5, Meridian 3

The Hurricanes took the first game of the day over Meridian, but they made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth.

Clinging to a two-run lead, Ryno Martin-Nez gave up three straight hits to load the bases.

Martin-Nez then shut down Meridian. He struck out two straight before hitting Whit Haggard to force in a run.

Martin-Nez didn’t let it phase him. He struck out the next batter to seal the win. He finished with four strikeouts.

Dylan Wooten pitched the win, going three innings with one strikeout. He didn’t allow any runs.

Justin Rushing led the Hurricanes by going 1-for-3 and driving in two RBIs. Chris Snow, Steven Evans and Blake Haygood all drove in one run.

Tyi Edmonds had four strikeouts in the loss.