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Vidalia's Dylan LaPrairie pitches the ball Thursday during the baseball game against ACCS at the Concordia Recreational Complex in Vidalia. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Adams County Christian's Paul Cupstid runs to third base Thursday during the baseball game against Vidalia at the Concorida Recreational Complex in Vidalia. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Dom Harveston runs to third base Thursday during the baseball game against ACCS at the Concordia Recreational Complex in Vidalia. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Vidalia's Peyton Fort runs to third base Thursday during the baseball game against ACCS at the Concordia Recreational Complex in Vidalia. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Adams County Christian's Jack Whitehead makes it to third base Thursday during the baseball game at the Concorida Recreational Complex. (Nicole Hester |The Natchez Democrat)

By TIM GUECIO

The Natchez Democrat

VIDALIA — In a well-played, hard-fought contest the Adams County Christian School Rebels got the win over The Vidalia Vikings 6-4 Thursday night at Cliff Merritt Memorial Field.

Coach Mike Norris sent Dylan LaPrairie out to the mound to start the game for the Vikings.

LaPrairie dealt with the ACCS line up for four innings, giving up five hits; however, he pitched well and struck out five Rebel batters.

Nick Melton took over for the fifth inning. The Vikings got the lead in the first inning when they sent seven batters to the plate and with five scattered singles they went up 3-1 after the first.

In the third inning ACCS catcher Jack Whitehead tripled and then scored to make the score 3-2 to stay close to the Vikings.

In the bottom of the third ACCS Coach Matthew Freeman sent in sophomore pitcher Tripp Cotton to relieve starter and sophomore classmate Nolan Owens.

Cotton held the game together with two strikeouts in the last five innings of the game and the Rebel defense backed him up with put outs in centerfield and leftfield and hard hit balls to the infield were thrown over to first for outs.

Paul Cupstid doubled to the outfield in the fifth inning for the Rebels as they would send eight batters to the plate and score two runs to take the lead 4-3. Owens wasn’t done for the night; he hit a shot to the outfield that scored two runs in the seventh inning to increase the Rebel lead to 6-3.

Cotton threw shut-out baseball for four innings with Vidalia getting one more run in the last inning to make the final score Rebels 6 Vikings 4.

“To play Vidalia was a big time game for us,” Freeman said. “Anytime you get to play an area team with big crowds, the pressure is on. Owens got the two out, two strike hit to drive in those two runs. Cotton a 10th-grade pitcher came in and pitched five (innings) got us out of a jam and pitched a gem. He didn’t pitch last year, so he’s really stepping up this year.”

The winning pitcher was Tripp Cotton and the loss goes to Dylan Laprairie.

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