Nathan Baylot’s first chance to be a hero on senior night slipped away. He wasn’t about to miss the second.

The Vicksburg High designated hitter put the Gators ahead with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning, then won it with an RBI fielder’s choice after Riverside tied it in the seventh.

James Jackson, another VHS senior, slid into home to give the Gators a 5-4 win Friday night at Bazinsky Field.

“I was glad to see those seniors go out and win a game when all of them were out there on the field together,” Vicksburg coach Jamie Creel said.

None of Vicksburg’s regular starters are seniors. So when Creel put his upperclassmen into the lineup for their final home game, it meant it was a less-experienced group of players than usual.

And after Riverside’s four freshman starters took the field, the lack of playing time on both sides was painfully obvious.

The teams combined for nearly as many errors (9) as hits (10).

The miscues led to three unearned runs by each team – two each in the first, and one more for each side in the fourth.

“It’s a good deal to see your seniors go out there and play, and some of them playing positions that they never played before,” Creel said. “The scoreboard showed a lot of that, but we slopped through it. We put the mud tires on and pulled it on out.”

With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Baylot finally put an earned run on the board. He lofted a high fly ball to left that barely cleared the fence for a home run and a 4-3 lead.

“I just missed it a little bit, but I knew it was gone when I hit it,” said Baylot, who hit his first homer of the season and finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. He reached base in all four plate appearances.

The Gators (17-7) stranded an insurance run at third, and it came back to haunt them in the top of the seventh.

Avery Mathes retired the first two Riverside (8-15) batters without incident, then got A.J. Tosses to hit a weak pop up behind second base. VHS shortstop Paul Rohrer and second baseman Jordan Henry collided, however, and the ball fell to the turf.

Drew McMahon followed with a double to the gap in right center, scoring Tosses and tying the game at 4-4.

“Two outs, he popped the ball up and I said it’s a fly ball and he’s going to catch it. But you never know in baseball,” Riverside coach Boo Ellis said.

The Gators didn’t waste any time ending the game in the bottom of the seventh.

Jackson led off with a triple to right center, and Ellis opted to intentionally walk Steven Price and Henry to load the bases and set up a double play.

Zach Stafford struck out Wesley Miller for the first out, then got exactly what he wanted when Baylot hit a two-hopper to third. The speedy Jackson broke on contact, though, and slid headfirst into the plate to beat the throw with the winning run.

“We needed a ground ball on that last one, and I did it,” Baylot said.