From staff reports

The Vicksburg Venom 10-year-olds’ tournament team conquered their first hurdle at the Cal Ripken Southwest Regional on Friday with a 13-3 throttling of the Oklahoma All-Stars.

Taft Nesmith went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored and Matthew Register went 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.

The win propels the Venom into a winners’ bracket game at 11 this morning against the South Arkansas region champions from Bryant, Ark. Both teams played in the 9-year-olds’ Cal Ripken Southwest Regional last year with Bryan winning the championship.

“It was a good start to the tournament,” Venom coach Eric Smith said. “I look for the competition to be much tougher in our next game though, so we will have to take it up a notch.”

Brooks Boolos was 2-for-3 and John Austin Burris was 2-for-2 in the victory.

Tyler Smith pitched two innings and struck out four batters to notch the victory. Register, Lee Simpson and Boolos all pitched in relief.

Corbin Candy took the loss.

Red Sox ousted from USSSA series

The Vicksburg Red Sox’s run in the USSSA 11-under World Series in Pace, Fla., came to an end Friday with an extra inning loss to the Southern Stingrays.

The Birminham-based team scored a run in the sixth inning to win 8-7. The two teams had been tied at 7 after time ran out after five innings of play in the elimination game.

Dustin Dillon started and was relieved by Derek Dolan.

Ben Welp led the Red Sox at the plate with a double and a single. Drake Dorbeck singled in a run while Brock Barnes singled in two runs. Jacob Breeden also had a hit.