The goals came fast and pretty often for the Vicksburg Missy Gators.

Rebecca Wilson scored three goals and Diari Gilliam had two as Vicksburg romped past an outmatched Saltillo squad 7-0 in a Class 4A quarterfinal game Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Vicksburg (15-8) advances to the state semifinals against the Pearl-Pontotoc winner Tuesday night at 6 at Memorial Stadium. Saltillo ended the season at 13-7.

The win marks the first time since 2003 the Missy Gators have made it to the semifinal round. The school won five straight state championships under coach Kevin Manton from 1998-2002.

“This was a big step. A few years ago, we got to the second round down in Long Beach (2005) and we’ve played Tupelo, but today we got past,” Manton said.

The ease by which the Missy Gators won was not that surprising, either, to Manton.

“I had gotten wind that they weren’t that strong. We had two goals in the first seven minutes and were up 3-0 at the half. But we made some great shots and Becky had a hat trick (three goals).”

Wilson got her first goal just under two minutes into the game, when she got behind a pack of Lady Tiger defenders with an one-on-one opportunity against Saltillo’s goalie. She knocked in the 15-yarder for a 1-0 lead.

Saltillo wasn’t very strong in goal, but their keeper, Madison Kitchen, did manage to stop the next three Missy Gator shots. Then Tabitha Hayden started a play near midfield, worked the ball to Gilliam, who then fired a shot at the goal. The ball batted off the keeper but Wilson was there for the rebound to make it 2-0.

“Becky is always where she needs to be,” said Missy Gator forward Amelia Hyde.

Vicksburg got its third goal in the half in the 23rd minute when Kitchen couldn’t hold Gilliam’s 12-yard shot from the front. She was replaced by Morgan Jackson.

Wilson finished off her hat-trick just four minutes into the second half after getting a feed from Gilliam to make it 4-0.

“I have no idea if I’ve ever scored that many,” Wilson said. “I usually get just two. They weren’t that fast and we got behind them. Everybody did really good for us.”

Wilson would have two more chances at a four-goal game but was denied both times on stops by Jackson.

Gilliam got her second goal at the 25:17 mark to make it 5-0. Hyde got into the act, taking a rebound off a shot attempt by Hayden to make it 6-0. Hayden wrapped up the scoring with 20 minutes to go. Saltillo had just seven shots on goal, all in the first half. Their best chance to score came when Vicksburg keeper, Kelli Brewer, was out of the box, but twice, sweeper Melanie McCaskill came into clear the play.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com.