JACKSON — Clyde Kendrick and Lamar Anthony often seemed like little more than a couple of green blurs on Thursday night.

The Vicksburg High duo appeared to be everywhere. On first base one second, on third the next, and celebrating another run with their teammates in the dugout before Jackson Academy even knew what hit it. By the end of the night, they’d made the 360-foot round trip around the bases five times and led the Gators to their first victory of the season.

Kendrick scored three runs, Anthony scored twice, and Cameron Cooksey had three RBIs as Vicksburg beat Jackson Academy 7-6. In 10 combined plate appearances, Kendrick and Anthony reached base nine times and scored five runs. Their only hits were a pair of singles by Kendrick, one of them on a bunt.

In three games so far this season, Kendrick and Anthony have scored eight of the Gators’ 10 runs.

“We just try to push it and get aggressive enough to where pitchers worry about us, and let our batters do the work,” Kendrick said. “We just take every opportunity they give us. If you see them lagging a little bit, you’ve got to take every inch.”

Kendrick scored from second on an infield error in the first inning, and Anthony reached on an error and scored on Cooksey’s RBI single in the fourth to tie the game at 2. The Gators (1-2) then took the lead for good with four runs in the fifth, and again their dynamic duo was the catalyst.

Kendrick started the rally with his bunt single, then stole second. That led Jackson Academy coach Jay Powell to call for an intentional walk to Anthony, a move that backfired. Cooksey smacked a double to right field to score both speedsters, and the Gators had a 4-2 lead.

Cooksey later scored on an RBI single by Josh Sterling, and Michael Rohrer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 6-2.

Jackson Academy (2-3) used three hits and three walks — two of them with the bases loaded — to cut it to 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth, but couldn’t get closer. The teams traded runs in the sixth inning, then Vicksburg reliever Jekori Reed retired the side in order in the seventh to nail down the save.

Reed struck out four in his two innings of work to save it for Kendrick, who struck out 12 in five innings but also gave up five runs on five walks and seven hits.