[7/28/04]The Vicksburg Angels came within one win of reaching the Cal Ripken 10-year-olds’ World Series this morning, falling to North Little Rock, Ark., 1-0, in the championship game of the Southwest Regional in Amarillo, Texas.

The game remained scoreless into the bottom of the sixth inning when two North Little Rock batters reached base on bunts. Two batters later the winning run was singled in, sending North Little Rock to the World Series.

Kewayne Gaston pitched all six innings for the Angels, allowing only the final run. Vicksburg had two hits in the game.

“It was a pitching duel all the way to the end,” Angels coach Gary Lee said. “Kewayne Gaston pitched a great game, but they laid those two bunts at the end and caught us by surprise.”

North Little Rock defeated the Angels on Monday, the team’s first loss of the double elimination tournament. But they bounced back on Tuesday with a 9-4 win over Eagle Pass, Texas, and a 6-0 win over Little Rock.

In both games, Josh Eargle stole the show.

He pitched three innings of scoreless relief to keep Eagle Pass at bay, then started the second game against Little Rock. He also pitched three scoreless innings in the second win.

The Angels scored four runs on five hits in the first inning, then added single runs in the third and fourth innings while keeping Little Rock scoreless.

Bill McRight led all hitters with a double and a triple. Cody Waddell pitched three innings of relief and struck out three to secure the shutout.

In the first game Tuesday, Clyde Kendrick singled four times, while Eargle, Gaston, Waddell and Jake Ward each singled in the win.

In 1997, a Vicksburg-based 12- and 13-year-olds’ team advanced to the Babe Ruth World Series in Florida and New York, respectively.

“We knew we had a good team,” Lee said. “We came out and played baseball. Somebody had to win.”