[04/06/01] Humphreys County’s baseball field absorbed almost six inches of rain in a 24-hour stretch two days ago, forcing the Cowboys to move their game to Vicksburg High.

To them, it seemed as if the rain never stopped.

The Gators (18-5) scored four runs in the second and fourth inning to belt Humphreys, 10-0, in a five-inning, mercy-rule shortened game.

“We had some guys step in and get some big hits and we also had some guys that don’t normally play step in and get some hits,” VHS coach Jamie Creel said. “… I’m not satisfied with our hitting, but I think our hitting has progressed over the season.”

Justin Henry led the Gators’ nine-hit attack with an RBI triple and two runs while Corey Hudson and Chase Bradley each had an RBI double. Jeremy Herring, John Rohrer and J.J. Brown each had RBI singles.

Berneric Holm was the lone Cowboy to get a hit, a fourth-inning single against Chris Middleton.

Middleton was one of three pitchers who combined for the shortened shutout. Mitchell Beauman got the win with two innings of no-hit ball. Middleton allowed the one single and Bob Berry ended the game with a perfect fifth inning, including a pair of strikeouts.

“We wanted to go two (innings), two (innings), one (inning), however it worked out,” Creel said of his pitching rotation. “Those are the guys we’re going to use Saturday, and we have a couple big ones.”

Vicksburg will play Brookhaven and Northwest Rankin at the Brandon school on Saturday.

The Gators scored in each inning. A Brown flyout in the bottom of the first inning scored Henry.

A pair of errors, a passed ball and four hits in the second gave Vicksburg a 5-0 lead. The advantage could have been more if not for a pair of running blunders that cost the Gators a runner at third and at second. The inning was highlighted by Henry’s triple.

The Gators added one more in the third, then put the game out of reach with four runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth.

“We didn’t play good defense,” Cowboys’ coach Derrick Hooker said. “When we had a chance to make a few plays, we were unable to come through.”