By TIM GUERCIO

The NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

VIDALIA — The first batter up for the Rosepine Eagles homered and the Vidalia Vikings had to play catch up from the very start.

The Vikings lost to Rosepine of Rosepine, Louisiana, by a score of 12-9 in a district playoff game Tuesday night at the Concordia Parish Baseball Complex.

Dylan LaPrairie started the game for Vidalia and was down 4-1 after two innings.

Nick Melton playing shortstop came in to relieve LaPrairie, who stayed in the game at shortstop.

The Viking bottom of the third is where the Vikings caught up. With a double by Tony Tolliver and two other singles in the inning, the Vikings had the lead 5-4.

The lead didn’t last long. In the fourth the Eagles quickly loaded the bases and Hunter Harrison parked one over the right field fence.

Melton pitched out of the inning with no more damage. However, the grand slam put Rosepine back on top by the score of 8-5.

In the Viking’s fourth they put together enough base runners to load the bases and knock out starting pitcher Matt Williams. Ethan Frey went from behind home plate, to the pitcher’s mound for the Eagles.

The Vikings got those three runs home to tie it up 8-8 after four innings.

Melton did well for Vidalia to pitch to only five batters and let in only one run in the fifth.

The game got away from the Vikings in the sixth, however, when the Eagles scored three runs on two singles and a double to make the score 12-8.

Senior Tristan Weatherly came in for the seventh to pitch, and was able to keep the Eagles off the board, to give the Vikings a chance to come back one more time in the last inning.

The Vikings were able to produce one run, but that was not enough. The season ends for them in the playoffs by the score of 12-9.