By Travis Smola
The Vicksburg varsity baseball team is 19-11 as it wraps up this season’s play and prepares for district tournaments.
The team lost its final two regular season games in a double header against Portage Northern 3-2 and 5-2 in extra innings. In the first game, things were pretty even as both sides struggled to gain any momentum. Finally with two on and nobody out in the top of the fifth, senior Adam Henderson hit a big double to drive in two runners to make it 2-0.
The Bulldogs carried the lead into the seventh, but the Huskies tied things up and then scored the go-ahead run to snatch away the victory.
In the second game, Portage Northern took an early lead in the bottom of the second. But Vicksburg responded in the top of the fourth with a big RBI hit to right field by Grant Deal. Portage Northern responded with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1.
The Bulldogs scored two more runs in the sixth on consecutive walks with the bases loaded. But Vicksburg wasn’t done yet. The team loaded the bases again in the top of the seventh and Garrett Ketelaar brought the tying run home on a pop fly by Ryan Verner.
The game went into extra innings and the Huskies were able to load the bases. The game ended when the next batter was hit by a pitch.
In spite of the outcome, head coach Brian Deal said these games were ideal for preparing the team for the close games they will face in the postseason. Deal says teams will have to have quality pitching, a clean infield and timely hitting to go deep in the playoffs this year. Vicksburg won two in district play to advance to regionals in June.