Rites of spring are flourishing all around. The Masters golf tournament recently wrapped up; flowers unfurl each sun-drenched day; folks slipped out of pants and into shorts during weekends; and children initiate a countdown of another school year ending.

Around these parts, another annual sign spring is in full swing? Vidalia baseball winning district championships.

The Vikings (19-6, 4-0 4-2A) reeled in their ninth consecutive title and their 13th in the last 14 years in a 14-5 dismantling of Crowville Wednesday.

&uot;We really don’t make that big deal over&uot; district crowns, said winning pitcher Brett Hinson, who looked masterful in just his second performance since injuring his arm last month. &uot;It never gets old, but we just think about it as another win. It doesn’t matter that much.&uot;

Hinson struck out nine Bulldog batters, walking just one and surrendering six hits in six innings of work, as he received plenty of run support from the Vidalia offense.

The Vikings went yard four times during the day, including back-to-back-to-back jobs in a six-run fourth inning that chase Crowville starter David John Philips from the contest.

Philips, who was on the short end of a 3-2 pitcher’s duel against Viking ace Mac Ware in Crowville last Wednesday, gave up three homers in 3 1/3 innings, including the first two in the fourth-inning trilogy.

&uot;One thing was over at our place, (Vidalia) hit ’em right at us,&uot; Bulldogs head coach Jimmy Comeaux said. &uot;Today (the Vikings) were hitting the gaps. You can’t defend base hits. David John didn’t do a bad job. He just got down on himself there in the fourth.&uot;

Philips retired the fourth’s first batter with a pop out, before he walked leadoff man Tony Hawkins.

After paying due attention to the speedy Hawkins at first with a couple throw-overs, Philips delivered his first pitch to third sacker Chris Ensminger, who deposited beyond the left-center fence, pushing the Vikings’ lead to 6-2.

Mac Ware followed and got ahead in the count 3-1 before Philips made another mistake out over the plate that Ware hit just to the right of Ensminger’s blast.

&uot;It’s a funny game; some days that’s gonna happen,&uot; Vidalia skipper Johnny Lee Hoffpauir said. &uot;We went back-to-back-to-back, and that was a backbreaker. I knew the long ball would be play with the conditions and it sure enough was.&uot;

Philips was yanked in favor of Ryan Bradley, who moved to the mound from first base.

After Bradley properly loosened up, Viking catcher Chris Williams greeted his first pitch by shoving it the opposite way over the right-center fence, making it an 8-2 game.

Two more runs scored in the inning off a two-out Texas leaguer from Trey Keith.

&uot;We had opportunities last week (at Crowville), we just didn’t make the big hits when we needed to,&uot; said Ware, who was 3 for 5 with two doubles, the homer and three RBIs.

The 10-2 cushion was more than enough for Hinson, who mowed down the first two Bulldogs of the top of the fifth before yielding three straight hits, the last of which was a two-run single from Crowville catcher Joey Shipley.

Shipley was about the only headache Hinson faced all day.

Despite striking him out for just the third time in more than 70 at-bats, Hinson gave up a two-run long ball in the first, which gave the Bulldogs a brief 2-0 lead before Vidalia got three in the bottom half.

He finished with four RBIs off three hits.

&uot;(Shipley’s) tough to pitch to,&uot; Hoffpauir said. &uot;We pitched him inside and outside &045; we went inside on him and he laced a double to right center. Plus, he’s scrappy behind the plate.&uot;

Jeffrey Anderson doubled the Viking lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the third when he crushed a 2-1 fastball past the Blue Monster in straightaway center.

&uot;I’m trying to get some confidence back,&uot; said Hinson, who unofficially threw 90 pitches. &uot;I’m glad I got this under my belt against a good-hitting team. My curve’s not all they way there, but it’ll come around. Hopefully, it’ll be ready for the playoffs,&uot; which begin next week.