[03/27/02]CLINTON After battling for nine long innings in bitter cold, this one had to Hurt for Vicksburg High.

Joel Hurt hit a two-out single to right field to give Clinton a pivotal division win over the Gators, 3-2, Tuesday night.

“This is what we were here to play for,” said VHS coach Jamie Creel, whose Gators (9-12, 1-4 Division 4-5A) will need some upsets in their division to make the playoffs now. “We had two teams going at it, playing their hearts out.”

Corey Hudson’s two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning tied it, 2-2, for VHS, which had a run taken away in the first inning after a runner was called out for going inside the line on the way to first base.

The Gators’ defense was nearly flawless for nine innings, but their hitting woes continued. They have only 18 hits in their last six games and have lost three in a row.

“I have no idea what the problem is,” said Hudson, who had two of the Gators’ six hits. “We’re just in a slump.”

Hurt, meanwhile, delivered for Clinton (15-5, 3-2) on what has been a week of big deliveries for coach Sam Temple. His wife, Kristen, had their first son, Garren Davis Temple, on Monday night.

“Last night, when I saw my son be born, it buckled my knees,” said Temple, who coached at Warren Central for five years and is in his first season at Clinton.

The numbers lined up for Temple to have good luck on Tuesday. His baby was born shortly after 7 p.m. and weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces.

“All 7s,” Temple said, smiling.

The numbers also favor the Arrows to join Warren Central in the playoffs next month. Forest Hill and VHS, both 1-4 in division, have to play two more times, as do Clinton and frontrunner WC.

“We’ve got to win the rest of our division games to have a chance,” Hudson said.

Chris Middleton pitched seven strong innings for VHS, scattering five hits with two strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter.

Reliever Justin Henry took the loss after getting out of a big jam in the eighth. Hurt led off with a single, then moved to second on Chase Dorsey’s bunt and to third on a passed ball.

Creel, coaching against his alma mater, then elected to intentionally walk Mike Cashion and T.J. Boler to load the bases for catcher Tim O’Hara, who had RBI singles in his first two at-bats.

Henry struck him out, then got Lucas Sandroni to ground out to third to end the inning.

Creel said he didn’t walk Hurt in the ninth because “I thought Justin had the advantage.”

Hurt, who had a game-winning hit in a similar situation against West Lauderdale, said he was “somewhat surprised” VHS pitched to him.

“I didn’t think I’d get a pitch to hit,” said Hurt, who went opposite field with the outside fastball. “This was our biggest game of the year. This one may have decided our season.”

Josh Jordan pitched one inning of relief to get the win after Cashion pitched eight innings, allowing six hits, striking out six, walking four and hitting one.

“You have to give a lot of credit to Vicksburg and Coach Creel,” said Temple, whose team had lost three of its last four. “They’re a well-coached team.

“It was a huge game … it was a fight with a lot of intensity. I’m glad it was a home game.”

The Gators’ defense was perfect after its first play in the field. Hurt beat out an infield single, then went to second on an overthrow to first. Two outs later, O’Hara singled him home.

Defense helped keep VHS in the game.Matt Middleton got the Gators out of the inning with a nice snag at third. First baseman Paul Gorney grabbed a hot shot off the bat of Clay Keith in the second inning. In the third, second baseman Josh McBride made a play to the middle to rob Dorsey. Later in the inning, after O’Hara’s two-out RBI single, Henry gunned down Boler at the plate from short. In the sixth, McBride went left to steal a sure single from Lucas Sandroni with two outs and a runner at second.

“Josh McBride got to some balls most people wouldn’t,” Creel said.

“We did a couple of little things wrong … but when you play the game correctly for nine innings, it’s hard to get mad at the them,” he said. “We’re just going to keep working. It will come around.”

Hudson was the lone bright spot on offense for VHS.

Trailing 2-0 in the sixth, Paul Gorney drew a two-out walk and David Stagg singled up the middle with the count 0-2. Hudson then pulled a pitch just foul down the left-field line before taking an 0-2 pitch just fair down the line to tie it.

“That was a huge at-bat,” Temple said. “We missed some spots … but these guys showed some fight, and that makes me proud.”