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VICKSBURG — Clark Hobson was a savior for St. Aloysius High School not once but twice in the first game of an MAIS District 4-5A varsity doubleheader against visiting Adams County Christian School last Friday afternoon.

Hobson sent the game into extra innings on a run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh inning and then with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning he drew a walk from Sean Kerry Cothern to bring in the game-winning run to give the St. Aloysius Flashes an 8-7 win over the ACCS Rebels.

Hobson’s single was the second of two run-scoring base hits that allowed the Flashes to tie the game at 4-4 and send the game into extras. Then it didn’t look too good for the home team after the Rebels plated three runs in the top of the eighth inning thanks to a Caden Aplin single and a dropped third strike that gave ACCS a 7-4 lead.

However, St. Aloysius responded with a three-run rally of its own in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a costly error by ACCS and a double by Laken Bradley. Cothern gave up a base hit and two walks in the bottom of the 10th and was charged with the loss.

The Rebels got on the scoreboard first with two runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a St. Aloysius error and a passed ball. But the Flashes scored two runs in the bottom of the first on a single by Carson Smith and a double by Walt Andrews.

Cothern singled in a run in the top of the third inning that gave the Rebels a 3-2 lead and they added to that lead with one run in the top of the fourth inning.

Coleman Carter got the start on the mound for ACCS and did quite well. He gave up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts, just two walks, and two hit batters over four strong innings. Rankin Wiggins came on in relief and it was at that point when St. Aloysius really took the momentum away from the Rebels.

Even after Wiggins pitched two scoreless innings, the Flashes scored two runs off him in the bottom of the seventh and three more runs in the bottom of the eighth. In his three and one-third innings, Wiggins allowed five runs, three of them earned, on four hits, four walks, and one hit batter. He also struck out two batters.

Colton Rabb smashed two doubles and went 3-for-5 with two runs scored while Carter was 3-for-5 with three runs scored to lead ACCS’s 11-hit attack. Aplin was 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored. Cothern was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

Keller Bradley was the winning pitcher after allowing six runs, two of them earned, on nine hits with seven strikeouts and no walks over seven and two-thirds innings. Laken Bradley was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored. Andrews was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. Keller Bradley and Carson Smith each went 2-for-5.

Game 2 of the doubleheader was not nearly as dramatic as St. Aloysius needed just five innings to defeat ACCS 16-6 to not only take both games on Friday, but also sweep the three-game series.

After the Rebels scored two runs in the top of the first inning, the Flashes took control with an eight-run rally in the bottom of the first, which was highlighted by a William Roberson two-run single.

St. Aloysius made it an 11-2 game in the bottom of the second thanks to RBI singles by Walt Andrews and Sadler Lambiotte and a sacrifice fly by Evan Mallard. ACCS scored two runs in the top of the third inning to cut St. Al’s lead to 11-4, but the Flashes got those two runs right back in their half of the third after Carson Smith grounded out to bring in a run and Andrews singled to centerfield for another run.

The Flashes scored one run in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 14-4. The Rebels scored two runs in the top of the fourth to try to extend the game, but St. Al would have none of it as it scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game early.

It was a tough outing for Rebels starting pitcher Levi Beasley as he didn’t make it out of the first inning. He went just one-third of an inning and gave up five runs, all of them earned, on one hit, but also three walks with just one strikeout.

What was interesting about this game was that both teams had nine base hits and both teams committed four errors.

Evan Mallard went all five innings for St. Aloysius and gave up six runs, five of them earned, on nine hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He also helped his own cause by going 1-for-2 with a triple and four runs batted in.

Carson Smith also had a triple and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Keller Bradley went 1-for-2 with a triple, one walk, was hit by a pitch once, and scored three runs. Roberson went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Coleman Carter had a double and went 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored. Caden Aplin went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Sean Kerry Cothern was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Hart Smith was 2-for-3 while Parker Roach was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

With the setbacks, ACCS fell to 10-6 overall and 0-3 in District 4-5A. The Rebels traveled to Chester Willis Field to take on district and cross-town rival Cathedral High School on Tuesday with the junior varsity game at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 6:30 p.m.