[07/07/02]The Vicksburg Hurricanes rallied from an early deficit and rolled past Orange Grove Saturday at the Cal Ripken 10-year-olds’ state tournament in Meridian.

The Hurricanes scored five runs in the bottom of the first after Orange Grove had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the inning, and went on to claim an 8-3 victory.

Ryno Martin-Nez, Stephen Evans, Chris Snow and Dylan Wooten each had two hits for the Hurricanes, who had 13 hits in all.

Evans drove in two runs, and Wooten and Martin-Nez each had one RBI for the Hurricanes. Snow contributed a double.

Wooten also pitched three innings, teaming with Colby Key for a four-hitter. Each pitcher had three strikeouts.

“It was a fantastic way to get jump-started. Orange Grove had beaten Ripley 16-0 in the morning, and they thought they were going to have an easy time with us,” said Hurricanes’ coach Randy Martin-Nez, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the country in the USSSA power rankings and had a bye in the first round of the 11-year-olds’ state tournament.

“This is a great way to get started,” Martin-Nez added. “It keeps us in the winner’s bracket and lets us keep playing later in the day, when it’s a little bit cooler.”

The Hurricanes return to action today at 5 p.m. in a winner’s bracket semifinal game against North Jackson.