YOUTH BASEBALL * From staff reports

The Vicksburg Venom’s quest for a Cal Ripken Southwest Regional championship ended on Monday with a 4-3 loss to the North Randall County Sluggers from Amarillo, Texas.

The Vicksburg 10-year-olds’ team finished the double elimination tournament with a 2-2 record. They played in the Southwest Regional last season as well.

The Venom fell behind in the top of the first inning 2-0 as North Randall strung together three singles before Vicksburg’s bats got going. In the bottom of the first inning, Lane Hynum led off with a double and Tyler Smith singled. A fielder’s choice groundout allowed Hynum to score to cut the deficit to 2-1. Dale Griffith followed with an RBI double to tie the game at 2. John Austin Burris then hit a double, but no runs scored as both Burris and Griffith were caught in run-downs.

The game stayed tied until the third inning when Brooks Boolos singled and scored on Griffith’s second double of the game. The Venom held the lead until the sixth inning with two outs.

A pair of fielding errors led to one run and the Sluggers’ No. 9 hitter, Ryne Williams, hit a blooper to right field to score the go-ahead run.

Vicksburg had one last chance, but could not get the tying run across home plate.

Tyler Smith pitched a complete game, but was charged with the loss.