For Vicksburg High and Columbus, the baseball playoffs will begin with a play-in.

After a controversial and contentious finish in their last meeting, and its convoluted aftermath, the two teams wound up tied for the fourth and final playoff spot from MHSAA Region 2-6A. They decided to settle it on the field and will play Monday at 6 p.m. at Ridgeland High School, with the winner moving on to the Class 6A playoffs and the loser eliminated.

“It’s a very unique situation. I’ve been coaching since 2013 and I don’t know if I’ve ever ran into this situation. I’m here for it,” Vicksburg coach Brandon Kincaid said.

Vicksburg won 12-2 when the teams played in Columbus on April 1, but four days later Columbus was leading the rematch 14-5 in the top of the seventh inning when things took a strange turn.

Tensions that had been simmering all game boiled over, leading to an on-field incident. Kincaid and three of his players were ejected and umpires called the game.

The first head-to-head tiebreaker to determine playoff seeding is run differential. Vicksburg (6-18, 1-6 Region 2-6A) had that in its favor, but Columbus (8-18, 1-6) argued that it could have matched or beaten the 10-run difference if the game had continued. Kincaid disagreed, saying his team would have still had a chance to come out ahead if it had been allowed to bat in the bottom of the seventh.

The solution was to play game three at a neutral site — Ridgeland — on Monday night to settle things. The winner will advance to play Region 1-6A champion Saltillo (18-4) in a first-round series beginning Thursday.

“If we would’ve finished the game and still been up by eight we wouldn’t have had to play it because we’d have been in the playoffs anyway,” Kincaid said. “But I like this — a winner-take-all situation where both teams get a clean slate, you’re not worried about everybody else, and may the best man win.”

Vicksburg had a chance to avoid the play-in game, but needed to pull off a major upset against Region 2-6A champion Warren Central on Friday night. Warren Central won 11-0 to complete a two-game series sweep.

Kincaid said the Gators are simply taking it one game — and one inning — at a time.

“We have a mindset of staying 1-0 every game. Now we’ve even broken it down to winning each inning and being 1-0 at the end of each inning. Being sure we’re ready for everything to come,” Kincaid said. “At the beginning of the season they had us ranked dead last in 6A. The way we competed (Tuesday against Warren Central), I’m really proud of our boys. If we come through and keep fighting like we did today, nothing can stop us.”

VICKSBURG VS. COLUMBUS
• Monday, 6 p.m., at Ridgeland High School
• Admission is $8 and tickets must be purchased online through GoFan.co
• The winner will earn the No. 4 seed from Region 2-6A in the MHSAA Class 6A baseball playoffs and advance to face Saltillo in a first-round series beginning April 25. The loser is eliminated from the playoffs.