What began as a pitching duel to kick off the regular season quickly turned into an offensive show down between Vidalia High and Pineville High, as the Vikings defeated the Rebels 6-4 at home Monday night.

“The character of this team is it’s energy,” Viking Head coach Johnny Hoffpauir said.

Both starting pitchers, Will Thomas of Vidalia and Chandler Jenkins of Pineville, kept the other team’s bats at bay for the first two innings of the ball game, but Pineville eventually broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third inning.

In the top of the third, with the bases loaded, Thomas walked Bryan Scott of Pineville to score Matthew Scott and give the Rebels a 1-0 lead. At the next at bat, Lance Laborde hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Tyler Colon. The Rebels added one more run to the scoreboard when Mark McKee scored on a Nathan Boone sacrifice fly.

After the Vikings went three up three down, the Rebels led 3-0 heading into the fourth inning.

In the fourth inning, the Vikings answered back by retiring the first three straight Rebel batters, and cranking up their bats in the bottom of the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Vikings loaded the bases, and Nick Coley doubled to score Jordan Brewer and Thomas to cut the Rebels’ lead to 3-2.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Vikings took a 4-3 lead after Beau Doughty tripled to drive in Colt Slover and Brewer.

But in the top of the sixth inning, Boone had an answer to the Vikings’ swing in momentum when he hit a solo shot over the fence to tie the game the game at 4-4.

Despite the big hit for the Rebels, Vidalia refused to back down in the bottom of the inning. During the bottom of the sixth inning Cameron Ainsworth laid down a squeeze bunt that allowed Coley to score the go ahead run from third base. The Vikings added one more insurance run in the inning when Cameron Boyette, who was pinch running for Trey Brashier, scored off a Slover single to put the Vikings up 6-4.

Brashier who came in for Thomas after the fourth inning closed out the game by striking out two of the Rebels four batters that batted in the seventh inning to win the game for the Vikings.

With the win the Vikings start off the season at 1-0, while the Rebels fell to 0-1.

“Our pitching was good throughout the game,” Viking head coach Johnny Hoffpauir said.

He said his core pitching staff was strengthened with the addition of Brashiers this season.

Colt Slover, who started as the designated hitter, said he was nervous after striking out at his first at bat, but he managed to shake it off and pick up several key hits for the Vikings.

“I was praying a lot and God helped me through,” Slover said.