Missy Gators end skid with big win against Ridgeland

Published 9:21 am Friday, March 29, 2024

The Vicksburg Missy Gators gathered in a huddle in right field, put together an organized cheer and danced. When they broke, one player did back handsprings all the way to center field.

After a couple of rough weeks, getting back into the win column clearly relieved some tension.

The Missy Gators scored in every inning and rolled to a 15-2 run-rule victory against Ridgeland Thursday at the Softball Swamp.

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Vicksburg (3-12, 2-2 MHSAA Region 2-6A) snapped a seven-game losing streak that had lasted more than three weeks.

“After the last couple of weeks this win, especially a big win, right now this has got our confidence boosted up,” said Vicksburg shortstop Trinity McGloster, who reached base three times, drove in one run and scored two. “Now we see we can play as a team — we can hit, we can play defense. This win boosted us up.”

Zion Harvey hit three doubles and Camden McGloster had one for the Missy Gators, and Harmony Harris was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Harvey was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Avery Van Norman drove in three runs and scored three more.

Vicksburg’s best move was simply putting the ball in play. Ridgeland committed 11 errors that led to 14 unearned runs.

“Once we hit the ball and got safe at first, we saw they were going to throw the ball around and we made them throw the ball around. That’s how we got all our extra runs,” Trinity McGloster said.

Ridgeland led 2-1 after one inning, and then Vicksburg surged ahead with two big rallies.

Harvey hit an RBI double to jumpstart a six-run burst in the second inning, and another RBI double in the third as the Missy Gators scored another seven runs to take a 14-2 lead. Ridgeland committed eight errors in the two innings.

“Everybody hasn’t been hitting all the way around. Normally we will have scattered hits. But everybody put the bat on the ball at least once or twice today. That’s what really helped us win this game,” Trinity McGloster said.

VHS pitcher Lili Kistler allowed the two first-inning runs, then not another. She allowed five hits and two walks, and struck out five batters in five innings.

It was a rather complete effort for the Missy Gators, which gave them not only a win but a confidence boost heading into the long Easter weekend and a key Region 2-6A game Tuesday at home against Warren Central.

“It’s really, really good because we deserved it and I’ve known we could do it for the longest time,” Harris said. “It finally feels good to actually do it and achieve it.”

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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