At left, Kyle Calhoun, right, and Bobby Hilbun (15) listen to assistant coach Chris Busby before hitting in the fifth inning Tuesday. At right, Eric Richards, a pitcher for the Culkin Critters, delivers a pitch in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s 7-2 win over Wills Park, Ga., at the Dizzy Dean 12-year-olds’ World Series. (The Vicksburg Post/SEAN P. MURPHY)

[07/25/01] OAK GROVE Culkin coach Bubba Mims changed the team’s routine before Tuesday night’s elimination game of the Dizzy Dean 12-year-olds’ World Series.

Instead of having his players take midday batting practice, Mims gave the players time to themselves.

The result was one of the best hitting performances of the tournament and a 7-2 win over Wills Park, the Georgia state champions.

“We just got outhit by a better team tonight,” said coach George Sadler of the suburban Atlanta team.

“Our pitching and defense has carried us all year, but tonight, they really hit the ball well.”

The Critters, who will meet Grenada for the third time in the playoffs Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., blasted 14 hits led by Hayden Hales and Cody Ferguson with three hits apiece.

Ferguson hit a second-inning home run and two singles, while Hales was 3-for-3 with an RBI. Cole Smith, the winning pitcher, had two hits, but left the game early with a sore elbow.

Kyle Calhoun and Michael Busby each had two hits, while Spencer “Moose” Carney had an RBI double and Tyler Wells had a home run, RBI and two runs scored.

It was the biggest offensive output by the Critters since blowing through the state tournament.

“We hit the ball so much better tonight,” Mims said. “… We had a team meeting last night about what was at stake and our guys really came out and stroked the ball.”

The Critters still face an uphill battle. With a win against Grenada Wednesday night, Culkin will play immediately after against host Oak Grove. Undefeated Center Point, Ala., which beat Culkin Monday night, awaits the winner on Thursday.

“We can still win this,” Calhoun said.

“We just have to come together and hit the ball.”

The critters chased Wills Park’s ace pitcher, Lance Little, in the second inning.

Ferguson led off the second with a home run to left field for a 2-0 lead. With two outs, Tyler Wells reached on a fielder’s choice, then Smith, Calhoun, Busby and Hales all singled for two more Culkin runs and a 4-0 lead after two innings.

“He threw me a fastball inside and I turned on it,” Ferguson said. “It was my meat pitch and I just drove it out of here.”

The Critters added a pair of runs in the fourth inning on a Carney RBI double and Ferguson’s RBI single.

Wills Park, which won the 10-year-olds’ World Series in 1999 and had three players from that team, scored its only two runs in the top of the fifth thanks to an error and a Chris Duncan RBI groundout.

Culkin added the finishing touches with Wells’ one-out home run in the bottom of the fifth.

“They are as strong a hitting team as we’ve seen,” Sadler said. “They’re definitely the strongest hitting team we’ve seen in the tournament.”

Smith, who started and pitched the first 21/3 innings, is questionable for Wednesday night’s game. Eric Richards, Calhoun and Busby combined to pitch the final innings in relief. Smith got the win.