Errors knock Gators from playoffs

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Vicksburg High junior John Hendrix (7) watches in disbelief with other Gators as St. Martin scores six runs on only one hit in the fourth inning Monday. St. Martin won the game, and the Class 5A playoff series 2-1. (Melanie Duncan ThortisThe Vicksburg Post)

[4/27/04]Vicksburg High pitcher James Jackson sat alone in the dugout after Game 3 of the Class 5A state playoffs opening round, staring at the field.

He later paced around the outfield, trying to grasp what happened in his final game as a Gator.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Despite getting only two hits, St. Martin took advantage of numerous Vicksburg mistakes for a 9-1 win that clinched the deciding third game of their playoff series on Monday. The win sends the Yellowjackets into a second-round matchup at Oak Grove on Friday.

“When you score nine runs off two hits, that’s not good baseball. That is not good baseball,” a frustrated Jackson said. “If you make three or four errors in an inning and then you watch strike after strike after strike, you can’t win like that. You’ve got to swing the bats, and you’ve got to play baseball.

“You can’t make mistakes like that.”

As he has done before, Aaron Hitt delivered when St. Martin needed him to do so. Throwing on three days’ rest, Hitt pitched all seven innings, allowing one run on one hit with six strikeouts.

“Aaron had another outstanding game on the hill, but I look on the board and between the two teams there’s 10 runs up there with three hits,” St. Martin coach Greg Williams said. “That’s not very impressive, but we found a way to win.”

The fourth inning proved to be the clincher for St. Martin (22-10).

The Jackets sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs on only one hit. Vicksburg committed three errors in the inning.

Leading 1-0 going into the fourth, the Gators (18-11) could have gotten out of the inning with minimal damage.

Jackson loaded the bases with one out, but followed with a strikeout of Louis Meaut. Bubbie Hitt then singled in two runs to give St. Martin the lead.

Jackson struck out Eric Bird on a pitch in the dirt, and the ball skipped behind catcher Tanner Woodson.

Woodson made the throw to first, but the ball hit Bird, who appeared to be outside of the runner’s box down the line. The umpire ruled him safe, and Scottie Campbell scored on the play.

“At first it was all right because we had done stuff like that before,” Jackson said. “But we didn’t get out of the inning and multiplied on our mistakes.”

Vicksburg had another opportunity to get out of the inning when Tarkan Weston grounded softly to second base. Tyler Wells fielded the ball cleanly, but rushed his throw, which sailed wide of Sean Gibbs at first and allowed two runs to come home for a 5-1 St. Martin lead.

Austin Bennett then grounded to third base, and Hampton Calvin overthrew Gibbs to allow Weston to cross the plate. Jackson finally struck out Jason Hitt to end the inning.

“We had a lack of confidence,” Calvin said. “It seems like when we made a couple of errors, we kind of got our heads down. We should have kept our heads up.”

The big inning chased Jackson out of the game. He finished with eight strikeouts and six runs allowed, two earned, in four innings.

“He goes out and he lays it on the line, throws his heart out. And we can’t score many runs and we can’t play defense behind him,” VHS coach Jamie Creel said. “It’s sad to see a kid go out like that.”

Steven Price came in to close out the game and held on for two innings before struggling with his control in the seventh.

He walked three batters one intentionally hit another, and allowed a hit as St. Martin padded its lead with three more runs.

“We had the runners out there, and we put the ball into play to get the opportunity to score the runs,” Williams said. “It was ugly, but this situation with our backs against the wall, we’ll take an ugly win every time.”