Douglas powers Vikings past Natchez|[3/15/06]

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 15, 2006

For three innings, the visiting Natchez Bulldogs were out-hitting Warren Central 2-1 while locked in a scoreless duel at Viking Field.

Then the Vikings’ Eric Douglas got warmed up and the Bulldogs were left looking at the wrong end of a 10-0 defeat Tuesday night.

Douglas’ solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth keyed a six-run rally. He followed it up with a leadoff triple in the fifth to ignite a four-run outburst which ended the game after five innings via the mercy rule.

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&#8220I saw the ball pretty well and I just tried to stay low and work it out,” said Douglas, who also had a first-inning single to finish 3-for-3. The home run was his fourth of the season.

&#8220I’ve got four, Nick’s (Carson) got four and Josh (Gordon) has four,” added Douglas of the Vikings’ home run tallies. &#8220I think the one Nick hit (tonight) went farther.”

Carson’s team-tying fourth bomb came with two-out in the fourth inning and accounted for three runs and a 6-0 Viking lead.

&#8220They just out-hit us,” Natchez coach Charlie Williams said. &#8220Our pitcher was doing a good job and even took the ball to the outside, but they were hitting that too.”

Natchez pitcher Thomas Hughes had kept the Vikings off the board through three innings, getting a little help from WC (9-3), which had two runners thrown out in the first inning.

&#8220I was afraid we might be a little off having practiced before the game, but it was necessary to get the rust bugs off from being out a couple of days with spring break and then having it rain on Monday,” WC coach Randy Broome said.

Natchez (4-5) had a chance to grab the lead in the second when Hughes doubled but he was picked off third base by WC starter Jeff Ward.

The Bulldogs had another chance in the third with two on, but an infield pop-up that fell, resulted in two outs. Karlos Ferbos, who hit the pop-up, was out because of the infield fly rule. Ross Smith was then thrown out, trying to advance to third when he saw the ball drop.

Ward retired six of the last seven batters faced to end his night. He struck out five and walked one.

Douglas’ triple started the Viking fifth. He scored on Ben Koestler’s grounder. Then Kyle Calhoun and Ward walked, setting up Harry Ferguson’s two-run, pinch-hit double to left-center. Cody Ferguson ended the game on a single to right, scoring Harry Ferguson.

Hughes, who had allowed just one hit through three, gave up seven in the last two at-bats, including six for extra bases.

The Vikings will finish up Spring Break with the Ouachita Parish Tournament in Monroe, playing four games in two days, starting Friday against Dutchtown.

St. Aloysius 9, Nanih Waiya 6.

St. Al rallied for six runs in the top of the fifth to gain a win in the Lake Spring Break Tournament Tuesday.

The Flashes (7-4) trailed 5-3 going into their last at-bat in the five-inning tournament game. St. Al got RBIs from Chip Donald, David Tidwell and Marsh Willis to erase Nanih Waiya’s lead. Pierson Waring then capped the outburst with a two-run double for a 9-5 lead.

Nanih Waiya got a run in the bottom of the fifth to account for the final.

Jordan Muirhead got the win (3-1), striking out seven. He also had three hits to lead the Flashes’ bats. Marsh Willis has a single and a double.