The Vicksburg Mudcats used a couple of defensive gems and a miscue by their opponents to start the Governor’s Cup on the right foot.

The Mudcats scored two unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning to break open a close game, then added an insurance run in the sixth to secure a 4-1 win over the Madison Tornadoes in the 11-year-olds’ opener at Halls Ferry Park.

All nine teams in the bracket advance to the championship round, but the Mudcats can earn a top-three seed by beating the Mississippi Dirt Bags today at 1 p.m. on the Bluff Field.

&#8220It gives us a little bit of confidence going into the next game,” Mudcats coach Jim Leech said. &#8220We still have plenty of pitching left. We have six pitchers and four catchers, so it’s not an issue.”

Chipper Leech drove in a run and threw six strong innings to lead the Mudcats. Leech scattered three hits, walked one, struck out four and was backed by a solid defense that turned two inning-ending double plays.

The first was in the bottom of the second, when Madison loaded the bases with one out. Hunter Embry lifted a fly ball to right field that was easily hauled in by Vicksburg’s Jeremy Jones. Jones then fired the ball to second, where he doubled up a late-tagging runner for the double play.

&#8220I was looking at first, then third, then home. Everybody was yelling ‘second!’, so that’s when I threw it to second,” Jones said.

The Mudcats escaped another bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third inning when Leech coaxed two ground outs. Madison did tie the game 1-1 on Ryan Sticker’s RBI groundout, but the Tornadoes failed to capitalize on a potentially big inning.

Madison also hit into an inning-ending double play in the fifth, when a runner interference call went the Mudcats’ way.

&#8220We kept our composure with the bases loaded and then got that double play,” Jim Leech said. &#8220Chipper did a great job. He kept his pitches down and didn’t throw a lot of pitches early.”

Vicksburg broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the fifth.

Mason Jarabica reached on a one-out walk, went to second on a wild pitch, then scored when Madison’s third baseman skipped a throw past first on a grounder by Steven Cialone. Cialone later scored on an RBI single by Barrett Teller, who was the only player on either team with two hits.

In the sixth, Johnny Plummer led off with a walk and scored on Carlisle Koestler’s RBI double. Chipper Leech then retired the Tornadoes in order in the bottom of the inning to close it out.

Gators 9, Cleveland 0 – Alex Thomas hit a solo homer and Trey Prentiss drove in two runs with a double during a six-run second inning that propelled the Vicksburg Gators past the Cleveland Braves.

Michael Rohrer allowed one hit in three scoreless innings, and Hunter Bell finished up in relief for the Gators.

6-year-olds

Vicksburg Braves 16, Red Dawgs 6 – Braxton Chewning singled and scored two runs, and the Braves scored six runs in the first and three more in the third to blow it open.

Vicksburg A’s 13, Magee 12

Haden Luke singled and scored what proved to be the winning run in the top of the fourth inning for the Vicksburg A’s.

Vicksburg led 11-3 after two innings, and 13-7 after Luke scored in the fourth. Magee scored five runs in its final at-bat in the bottom of the fourth, but couldn’t plate the tying run.

9-year-olds

Madison Jags 11, Vicksburg Titans 0 – Trace Tyre, Corey Bell and Will Brooks combined to throw four innings of shutout ball for Madison in a run-rule win over the Titans. Bell led Madison’s offense with a solo home run.

Venom 12, Clinton 0 – The Vicksburg Venom started its Governor’s Cup run strong, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning en route to a rout of the Clinton Arrows in its opener.

Lee Simpson and Brayden Stokes scored two runs apiece for the Venom.