Vicksburg-Culkin Bullets Montana McDaniel slides into home as Vicksburg Vipers catcher De Kelly tries to control the baseball during the Bullets’ 11-4 win on Friday during the first day of the Governor’s Cup. (Brian LodenThe Vicksburg Post)

[7/31/04]The Vicksburg-Culkin Bullets have been together for two weeks and they had only played one scrimmage game before Friday night.

So it may seem a little odd for the team made up of half Culkin players and half Vicksburg Baseball Association players to make noise against a team many thought would advance deep into the Governor’s Cup Tournament.

Think again.

The Bullets ripped three Vicksburg Vipers pitchers for 11 runs on 11 hits in an 11-4 win in the 12-year-olds’ division.

“Our kids played great,” VC coach Carlos Gonzalez said. “We’ve only been together about two weeks.

“This is our first real game together. The kids are really enjoying this.”

Carter Kittrell paced the Bullets with a double, triple and an RBI, and Carlos Gonzalez Jr. singled twice with an RBI. Jarred Tompkins and Justin Pettway each belted a pair of hits and Larry Southern hit a two-RBI single in the fifth inning that gave the Bullets a 6-2 lead.

With Gonzalez on the mound, the Vipers scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a Joe Borrello single.

John Michael Harris then singled and pinch runner Bishop Tart tried to score from second, but a perfect throw from the outfield nailed Tart at the plate, keeping VC with a 6-4 lead.

The 90-minute time limit nearly expired 14 seconds were on the clock when the third out was made sending the game into a deciding sixth inning.

In the sixth, VC scored five runs on three hits and took advantage of a pair of walks and a hit batter for an 11-4 lead.

“We didn’t hit the ball well today at all,” said Vipers coach Bob Anderton, who led his team to a scrimmage win over the Bullets on Monday. “We played them Monday and crushed the ball. We just didn’t get it done tonight.”

Gonzalez pitched three innings of relief for the victory. He allowed two runs on four hits. Jay Harper pitched one-hit baseball through the first three innings. He allowed a towering home run to Chris Snow in the third inning that tied the game at 2.

The Bullets scored two runs in the top of the fourth for a 4-2 lead and never trailed again.

“I think this will help us for tomorrow,” said the younger Gonzalez. “We’ll have to come out and play hard. That’s about all I have to say.”