GONZALES, La. &045; Blame it on the rain.

Just when the Vidalia All-Stars were about to get back into the game Friday at the South regional tournament, the skies opened up. It kept everyone off the field for well over two hours, and some six hours after it started the All-Stars dropped a 10-3 decision to Ville Platte.

The All-Stars will go today against the loser of the Pineville-Morgan City game at 2:30 p.m. today.

&uot;It kind of hurt us,&uot; Vidalia head coach Tam Winston said. &uot;I really thought it would have a positive effect on the kids, but it didn’t. I didn’t think they played bad, but we really didn’t play heads-up ball. We thought we were ready to win the ball game, but it didn’t work out our way.&uot;

The All-Stars had the bases loaded with one out when the rain came. The tying run was on first base, but Dee Garrison got thrown out trying to score from third on a passed ball for the second out, and the next batter was retired to end the inning.

The All-Stars trailed 6-0 in the fourth before putting up three runs on one hit, a couple of walks and an error. Ville Platte had three in the first off starter Jake Winston, who was feeling ill and pitched just two innings before giving way to Dee Garrison.

Garrison gave up one run in the fifth for a 7-3 lead before Ville Platte cranked a three-run homer in the sixth inning to virtually put the game away.

&uot;He did pitch a good game,&uot; Tam Winston said.&160;&uot;He gave up a home run, and that upset

him, but he did a good job. Jake wasn’t feeling good.

&uot;Ville Platte is not much better than we are, but my kids probably think they are. When you come expecting to win, that makes a lot of difference.&uot;