With his performance Friday night in the opening game of the Governor’s Cup’s 16-year-olds’ tournament, Gabe Bufkin showed he could be ready to help out the Vicksburg High Gators’ pitching rotation next year.

Bufkin had five strikeouts in four innings to lead the upstart 14-15-year-old Gators’ tournament team to a 6-5 upset of the Vicksburg Best at Bazinsky Field.

Bufkin struck out five in four innings to get the win over the Best, which used two varsity pitchers from Porters Chapel Academy.

“We basically put together the little Gators and little Mudcats team for this tournament,” said Bufkin, who will be a sophomore when school opens at VHS this week. “We kind of got reunited this weekend.”

Last spring, under then-coach Jamie Creel, Bufkin served as the backup catcher for Vicksburg High’s varsity team. Against the Best, he showed he could pitch, too.

“I caught some games for the high school, but I’m hoping this shows that I can help out with the pitching. I was able to get a lot of movement off my four-seam. And then I was able to mix in some off-speed,” Bufkin said.

Best coach Mark Buys was impressed.

“Gabe pitched a really good game for them. That’s the best I’ve seen of him,” Buys said.

The Best started PCA’s Talbot Buys. Poor defense hindered him in the first inning as the Best made three errors that led to two runs and cut a three-run lead down to 3-2.

In the second, Buys lost the strike zone. He walked two, then gave up a hit to Michael Rohrer and a bunt hit to John Plummer. Rohrer’s hit scored one, and two passed balls brought home two more runs to put the Gators ahead 5-3. Trey Prentiss then singled and later scored when Best reliever Sam Staggs hit Hunter Sumrall with a pitch with the bases-loaded to make it 6-3.

The Best got a run back in the third when Devin Bell singled in Clyde Kendrick, who had reached on a single and stole second. In the fourth, Warren Central’s Tyler Comans’ doubled to right center to plate Dee Kendrick and make it 6-5.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Gators’ Josh Sterling singled to right and then went to third on a two-base error, the Best’s fifth miscue of the game. The game was then called because of the tournament’s 90 minute time limit rule.

“We have a good team, so I know we can bounce back,” Buys said. “I went ahead and pitched our Porters Chapel kids today because they have a midnight football practice tonight.”

The Best will be able to use Bell and Chase Ladd today and expect to have St. Aloysius ace Reed Evans available for pool play.

Besides Bufkin’s effort on the mound, Plummer also reached base three times, scoring twice for the Gators. Prentiss had a single and a run scored, while Rohrer singled and scored.

The Best were led by Staggs, who had two-run single in the first. Kendrick singled, scored two runs, and threw out a runner at the plate from left field to save a run.