HARRISONBURG, La. &045; This is when the veteran coach’s wisdom pays off.

While those young Monterey Wolves without a senior struggled at times earlier this season with 14 losses in their first 16 games, they’ve found new life as District 3-B action has rolled around. Nothing could have been bigger than Tuesday’s 10-4 win over a good Harrisonburg team to keep on improving.

Leave it to coach Hank Zizzi &045; who celebrated his 63rd birthday Tuesday &045; to do it right for a team that’s had its share of wrongs earlier this season.

&uot;It was a great birthday present,&uot; Zizzi said. &uot;They’ve been pretty dominant in the district. It was just a super win. You like to win them all (in predistrict), but it doesn’t mean a hill of beans. Playing good competition like Cathedral and Rayville &045; teams in higher classifications &045; has really helped us.&uot;

The Wolves (2-0, 5-14) got the timely hits for the second straight game against Harrisonburg starter Elijah Booth despite striking out 11 times. After trailing 3-0 after two, they got three in the third, four in the fourth and two more in the sixth for a 9-3 lead over the homestanding Bulldogs.

In the third, a Max Green single and two walks loaded the bases before Gary Evans walked to score Beau Shively. Max Green scored on a sacrifice bunt, and an infield error scored Layton Strebeck.

In the fourth, Green drove in Jordon Tiffee and Beau Shively with a single, Strebeck singled in Green and Gary Evans singled in Strebeck.

Vidalia 8, Block 5

VIDALIA, La. &045; Lance Moore allowed just one hit over the final 4 2/3 innings while Will Thomas made up for his performance on the mound by driving in four runs over a two-inning stretch in the middle of the game as the Vikings rallied for an 8-5 win Tuesday night.

&uot;Our kids are scrappy,&uot; Vikings assistant head coach Tim Herndon said. &uot;That’s the kind of bunch they are.&uot;

Block pitcher Derrick Johnson kept Vidalia (18-3) scoreless for the first three innings &045; something very few pitchers have been able to do this season.

And it appeared that the Bears would give Johnson all the support he would need with their five-run rally in the top of the third.

After Thomas left after 2 1/3 innings, Moore came on in relief and shut the door on Block for the rest of the game. Moore struck out the first two batters he faced with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Tensas 5, Tallulah Academy 0

ST. JOSEPH, La. &045; Zach Jones had a solid game on the mound and hit a big home run in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Chiefs shut out the Trojans to get out of the cellar in MPSA District 7-A.

Jones pitched a complete game for Tensas (2-4, 4-7) and gave up just three hits. He made up for his five walks with nine strikeouts and the defense behind him was outstanding with no errors.

Huntington 8, Briarfield 4

FERRIDAY, La. &045; The Hounds broke open a close game by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning in a District 7-A game that was a lot different than their 13-0 win on March 18.

Huntington (6-1, 13-5) managed just one run each in the bottom of the first and third innings and Briarfield cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the fourth before the Hounds put the game away in the bottom of the fifth.

Oak Forest 11, Trinity 1

AMITE, La. &045; Oak Forest pitcher Toby Easterly had one of his best games of the season.

Easterly held Trinity (0-9, 3-15) to just one run on three hits and the defense behind him committed only two errors. Oak Forest scored in every inning of this five-inning District 4-AA game, even though none of its nine hits went for extra bases.