Heading into the top of the seventh, Vicksburg appeared on its way to a season-defining win.

Instead, the Gators suffered through an unfathomably bad inning. Clinton (15-3, 5-0 Division 4-6A) scored 13 runs in the seventh inning on nine hits and six Vicksburg errors to thump the Gators, 16-4.

The loss puts Vicksburg third in the division with a 2-4 record. After Warren Central beat Greenville-Weston 11-3 Friday night, the Gators locked up the third spot in Division 4-6A.

Vicksburg coach Cody Zumbro tried to pick up his team following the devastating loss.

“We played great baseball for six innings,” Zumbro said. “Something like this happens in baseball. If Clyde (Kendrick) can get us out of the fourth inning, we’re set because Cody (Waddell) can go three innings. If he goes longer with his arm problem, I can’t take that chance of losing him for the year.”

Waddell, Vicksburg’s projected No. 1 pitcher, has been hampered with tendonitis, but he looked sharp Friday with a mid-to-upper 80s mph fastball. Waddell got the Gators out of the fourth inning by getting three straight outs to leave the game tied at 3.

A solo home run by Justin Pettway gave Vicksburg a 4-3 lead after four complete.

Waddell added two more scoreless innings and took a one-run lead into the seventh. It was there he ran out of gas and the wheels fell off the Gator wagon.

Clinton’s Clint Willoughby led off the seventh with a sharp hit to right. Jake Weathersby belted a double off the wall in right center. A single to left by Patrick Barnes scored Willoughby to tie the game at 4.

Elliot Brashier gave

Clinton its first lead with the fourth straight hit in the inning. Up 5-4 and a runner on third with no outs, Clinton coach Eddie Lofton went to the squeeze play to score Barnes for a 6-4 lead.

“We finally were able to get some bunts down and that led to the big inning,” Lofton said. “Once we start putting hits together, this team has that tendency to get real hot. We were like that down in Gulf Shores, where we won four games in a row.”

Following the squeeze-play run, Zumbro pulled Waddell for Pettway. The Gators made three infield errors in between a walk to help Clinton bust the game open.

Clinton later teed off on Vicksburg’s third pitcher of the game, Gabe Bufkin, for four more runs off four hits, three more errors and a wild pitch.

Lofton said he could only shake his head following the 13-run outburst.

“Truthfully, the final score does no justice to how good a game this was,” Lofton said.

Vicksburg led 3-0 after three innings. Kendrick was strong early, but walked three in a row to start the fourth and all three runners scored before Waddell came in. Lamar Anthony had a single, double and scored two of the three runs. Jonathan Clay had a pair of RBI singles.

Clinton’s Kyle Hartman pitched four scoreless innings of relief of Blake Gober to get the win.

Simpson Aca. 6, PCA 5

Porters Chapel’s fifth-rally came up just a little bit shy at Simpson Academy, as a double-play put the kibosh on the Eagles. Montana McDaniel led the Eagles (10-5) with a two-run home run in the first inning, while Kawayne Gaston had a two-RBI double in the fifth. Jeff Hearn added two more hits, while Matthew Warren took the loss.

WC 11, Greenville-Weston 3

The Vikings picked up a key division win in Greenville Friday night. WC improves to 10-8 overall and 4-2 in Division 4-6A play.