A six-run sixth inning lifted Vicksburg to its eighth straight win over archrival Warren Central Friday night before nearly 600 at Bazinsky Field.

Vicksburg (16-6) trailed 5-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth, but came up with six runs off six hits and three Viking errors to win 10-5.

Gators’ coach Jamie Creel, whose team has not lost to WC since the 2006 Class 5A playoff tournament in Southaven, was glad to see a good, competitive game between the county’s two largest schools.

“The intensity came back tonight because the crowd was into it. It’s good to seem them get excited,” Creel said. And it was a good win for Vicksburg as the Gators are struggling with the injury bug.

“We are really banged up,” said Creel, who was without regular shortstop Ryan Ferrington (foot).

Bowen Woodson started at short in his place and Keaton Jones went into the lineup at second. Both had a big hand in the decisive sixth inning rally.

Down 5-4 and with a runner on first, Tyler Temple doubled to right center. The Vikings made an excellent relay to nab courtesy runner Antonio Williams at the plate thanks to a tag by WC catcher Carlos Gonzalez. The Gators came back with Aaron Thomas’ pinch-hit single that scored Temple’s courtesy runner Thomas Carr to tie it at 5.

“Aaron’s done that a couple of times for us. He’s gotten us some clutch hits,” Creel said.

Jones then dropped a beautiful bunt down the first base line for a single. Woodson followed with an RBI single to right center to score Thomas for a 6-5 lead. The Vikings (9-14) then made their second error of the inning on a groundball miscue at second that loaded the bases.

Brian Fitzgerald continued the rally with a hit to right to score Jones for an 8-5 lead. Fitzgerald tried to get into a rundown to allow Blake Hynum time to score, but the tag was missed to keep it at one out. Jacob Thomas, who had started the inning by reaching on an error, singled to right to score Fitzgerald to make it 10-5.

Thomas then pitched a scoreless seventh inning to complete his four innings of relief work to earn the win and improve to 4-2 on the year.

“We got beat by a really good team,” WC coach Josh Abraham said. “They are a good hitting team. Some plays here and there and it could’ve been different. But we got after them for seven innings and I thought Keaton Sanders pitched like a champion.”

Sanders pitched well for five innings, holding the Gators to just four runs before things came apart in the sixth.

Fitzgerald did go three innings in his first start in two weeks. The Vikings got two runs off three hits and led 2-1 going to the bottom of the third. There, the Gators struck for three runs off Sanders.

Jones led off with a triple followed by Woodson’s double. Trey Prentiss capped the rally with a two-run double to score Woodson and Hynum for a 4-2 lead.

WC bounced back getting two runs in the fourth off a wild pitch and passed ball. The Vikings took the lead at 5-4 in the sixth when Adam Lee doubled with two out to score Beau Wallace.

Vicksburg finished with 12 hits. Fitzgerald had three singles to lead the way while Jones had a triple, a single and three runs scored. Woodson had a double, single and drove in two runs.

WC was led by Jimmie Elliott with three hits, including a double.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com