Rain may have saved the Vicksburg Gators — at least until Monday.

Saturday afternoon’s Game 2 of a Class 4A first-round series was suspended by rain in the top of the sixth inning with the visiting Saltillo Tigers up 5-1.

The game will resume Monday at 4 p.m. at Bazinsky Field. Saltillo (13-13) needs just six outs to finish off the series after winning Game 1, 7-1, in Saltillo on Friday.

Vicksburg coach Jamie Creel said his team has the experience to turn around what has been to date a lackluster effort at the plate.

The Gators (18-7) had only one hit through five innings against Saltillo starter Cole Morse, and were held to three hits in Game 1.

“I would think my guys are old enough to know what they need to do. We’re six outs from elimination. Either we get it done or we don’t,” Creel said.

Saltillo coach Johnny Bolen was disappointed that the game had to be suspended. Saltillo will have to make a four-hour trip back to Vicksburg on Monday for what could be just two innings of baseball, unless Vicksburg rallies and forces a Game 3.

“We tried to get it in. It’s the spring, you’ve got to deal with rain,” Bolen said.

With rain coming from an approaching front, Creel knew there would be a tight window to try and squeeze the game in.

The game, originally slated to begin at 4 p.m., started about 20 minutes early. By 4:45, a steady rain was falling. Umpires stopped the game when it appeared VHS pitcher Kurt Cooksey couldn’t keep traction with the pitching rubber. They waited 30 minutes before suspending the game.

Action will resume Monday with Saltillo batting in the top of the sixth with Eric Bauman on first base after drawing a leadoff walk.

“We tried to get it going quickly. We had no introductions and no anthem. We were pretty fortunate to get where we got,” Creel said.

Saltillo got to where it’ll be Monday by scoring five times in the first two innings to grab a 5-0 lead. Drew Chisholm led off the game with a sharp single up the middle against Cooksey. Two outs later, Jake Littlejohn followed with another hit up the middle to score Chisholm for a 1-0 lead.

With two on and two out, Cooksey appeared set to get out of a jam in the second but shortstop Ryan Ferrington could not make a transfer to second after stopping a ground ball from Dillon Payne just over the bag. Colby Adams then ripped a double past third base, scoring two runs. After a walk, Morse put a shot down the same line, hitting it past third for two more runs and a 5-0 lead.

Vicksburg got a run back in the bottom of the second when Brian Fitzgerald walked and scored on a fly ball to center by Trey Prentiss.

Morse settled in, retiring 11 of the next 12 Gators. Tyler Temple had the Gators’ only hit with a leadoff single in the third, but was left stranded after Morse got the next three batters out.

Morse is also hot at the plate with three hits, including the two-run double.

“We’re playing well right now. I don’t know if we’ll stay with Morse when we come back. He’s thrown 65 pitches. We’ll see,” Bolen said.

*

Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com