Vicksburg High pitcher James Jackson delivers during the Gators’ 7-2 win over No. 3 Petal Saturday at Bazinsky Field. Jackson, a junior, allowed three hits in five innings of work to get the win, and also helped his own cause with two doubles and two RBIs in three at-bats. (C. Todd ShermanThe Vicksburg Post)

[3/16/03]The Vicksburg Gators played perhaps their toughest opponent in a week full of tough games on Saturday and made it look easy.

James Jackson went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs and kept Petal in check for five innings on the mound, and Hampton Calvin and Josh McBride each drove in two runs as the Gators (6-5) beat No. 3 Petal 7-2 at Bazinsky Field.

It was VHS’ third game against a ranked team in the last seven days, and the first of those games it has won. The Gators lost to No. 2 Oak Grove on March 8 and No. 11 Madison Central on Tuesday, then broke a four-game losing streak with a win over Olive Branch on Wednesday.

“It’s a very good win. Anytime you beat a top-five team in the state, it’s a good job and I’m proud of our guys. We’ve got a pretty decent ballclub ourself,” VHS coach Jamie Creel said. “I think when we bounced back against Olive Branch the other day, it was a sign of turning the corner from the previous games of this week. We keep putting our guys in a wasp nest, and if they come out fighting then we’ve got a chance to win the ballgame.”

Petal took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jared Lowery was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, but it didn’t take Vicksburg long to answer.

Justin Henry led off the bottom of the inning with a single up the middle and McBride followed with a walk. That set the stage for Jackson, who doubled over the head of the left fielder to bring in both runners and put the Gators ahead 2-1.

In the second inning, Steven Price singled and Petal opted to intentionally walk Henry with two outs to get to McBride. The move backfired, though, as McBride hit a line drive to center. Lowery dove for the ball and missed, and it rolled all the way to the fence for a two-run triple that put the Gators ahead 4-1.

“The hit that Josh had really gave us momentum and put us over the top,” Creel said.

Jackson’s pitching kept the Gators ahead from there. He allowed only three hits and two runs in five innings, and struck out five. He also walked five, however, and had to pitch out of several jams.

“It wasn’t as good as I wanted, but it’ll do,” Jackson said of his performance.

Petal (9-2) had several chances to tie or take the lead, but left runners on base in nearly every inning. The Panthers stranded 11 runners in the game, seven of them in scoring position. Petal left the bases loaded twice, and runners at second and third in another inning.

In the fifth inning, Petal’s Patrick Ezell led off with a double, Brett Hoeflich was hit by a pitch, and both advanced on a double steal to put runners at second and third with no outs. Jackson got out of the jam, however, by getting a groundball to third and two strikeouts.

“We’re kind of in a little slump right now at the plate, and Vicksburg did … get the big hits. We had opportunities and just didn’t hit the ball well enough to win, and they did,” said Petal coach Larry Watkins, whose team suffered its first loss of the season Friday against Hattiesburg.

After the Panthers failed to capitalize on their chances, the Gators put the game away in the bottom of the sixth.

Justin Boler led off with a single, and Steven Price followed with a ground-rule double. The ball hit off a strip of yellow tubing that runs along the top of the wall and was initially ruled a home run, but was later changed to a double.

“My fault. The ground rules say if it hits off the yellow it’s a home run, and it’s strictly my fault. I did not cover that in the ground rules. It definitely was a home run, and it’s one that got taken away from him,” Creel said.

After Price’s hit, Rob Quimby drove in a run with a bloop double to right and Calvin lined a single to left to score two more runs and put the Gators ahead 7-2.

Adam Logue, who entered the game in the sixth, then retired Petal without incident in the seventh to end the game. Logue allowed one walk and one hit in two innings to earn the save.