[03/16/02]MONROE, La. Vicksburg High coach Jamie Creel didn’t care if his team outplayed mighty Evangel Christian. He wanted to win.

So did the Eagles, who rallied with four runs in the final two innings to end the Gators’ winning streak at three games, 6-5, in the Tri-State Challenge.

“This is the worst game we’ve played all year,” said Creel, whose Gators (8-7) have been plagued by inconsistency but appeared to have straightened things out after three straight wins over quality teams. “I feel like we got beat by an inferior team today.”

John Rohrer, who went 3-for-3, homered to lead off the seventh and tie it 5-5, but the Eagles (6-6) won it without getting a hit in the final inning.

Ryan Amend led off by reaching base on an error. Then, after two walks loaded the bases, eighth-grade pinch-runner Jeff Hulett scored from third when a pickoff attempt rolled to left field.

“That was quite a game,” Evangel coach Romy Cucjen said, agreeing that it was a tough way to end what had been a well-played ballgame. “We were very fortunate.”

Paul Gorney, who was 2-for-3, homered in the second, and David Stagg hit a two-run single in the fourth to give the Gators a 3-0 lead.

Starter Justin Henry faced the minimum for 32/3 innings before giving up his first hit, a two-run homer to Derek Patterson that pulled the Eagles within 3-2.

Henry, who struck out six, walked three and allowed four hits in 51/3 innings, made it 4-2 when he singled then scored from first on an errant pickoff throw in the fifth.

Two batters later, Brian Bass relieved Evangel starter Jared Jennings. But Bass walked two and was quickly pulled for eighth-grader Chase Jennings, who got out of the inning with the bases loaded. In all, the Gators stranded eight.

“We missed opportunities at the plate, and our pitchers missed their spots,” Creel said. “There was no enthusiasm out there.”

James Jackson relieved Henry after Patrick Maxwell hit a two-strike homer just over the 305-foot fence to pull Evangel within a run, 4-3, in the bottom of the sixth.

After an infield single by Joe Hulett, Jared Dystart’s two-out single brought in two runs one after an overthrow to the catcher to give the Eagles their first lead, 5-4.

Rohrer’s rip to right chased Jennings, but eighth-grader Reagan Baker came on and retired the next two Gators. Gorney singled, but was caught stealing to end the inning. VHS was 3-for-3 on steals before that.

The Shreveport school, a longtime football power, started the season ranked in the Top 10 in the state in baseball. But the Eagles quickly lost their top two pitchers to injuries and had to enlist the help of eighth-graders, Cucjen said. Still, they managed to sneak away with some wins like Friday’s. They beat Marshall (Texas) Thursday, 5-4, in nine innings.

“It’s been tough, but it’s built character,” Cucjen said.

The Gators, who played an errorless game to beat West Monroe on Thursday, outhit the Eagles 10-6 and had only one error.

That was no consolation to Creel.

“We’re not out here for moral victories,” he said. “We’ve got some guys that need to step up.”