NATCHEZ &045; This sure wasn’t a pitcher’s duel.

Both Vidalia and Cathedral came into their showdown Thursday a little worried about their offense, but those worries should be gone.

Vidalia (20-3) looked playoff-ready in a 21-5 bashing of the Green Wave (19-3), whose most glaring struggles weren’t at the plate.

Cathedral committed seven errors and couldn’t find solid pitching from any of the five hurlers the Green Wave used in the game.

Vidalia took advantage, using some good hitting and poor Cathedral hitting to build a 12-5 lead after four innings and then capped things off with a nine-run fifth to end the game on the 10-run rule.

&uot;They took it to us and did a good job of putting the ball in play,&uot; Cathedral head coach Craig Beesley said. &uot;Our pitchers struggled all night long. Our pitching is something I was worried about early in the year, and tonight against a good team showed why.

&uot;I wanted them to compete harder. It seemed like we gave in when the going got tough. I was a little disappointed in our competitiveness.&uot;

Both teams struggled with their pitching in the early going. Cathedral’s Patrick McDonough gave up two runs in the first &045; to leadoff hitter Jordan Brewer and Brett Hinson &045; and Vidalia pitcher Will Thomas struggled to throw strikes, walking five batters and throwing two wild pitches in the first two innings as the Green Wave scored five runs.

Brewer led off with a singled and scored when Hinson reached on a fielder’s choice. Hinson eventually came in when Tyler Bruce reached on an error, one of two for the Green Wave in the first.

Cathedral struck back with Andrew Ellard’s leadoff single. Jeremy Davis walked and Charlie Lane brought both in with a double to the right field wall. Vidalia came back with four runs in the second, highlighted by Thomas single that brought in Brewer and Chris Ensminger.

Again, Cathedral struck back, taking advantage of some wild pitches. Jesse Morrison walked to start things, then Ellard and Preston Hicks &045; who knocked Morrison in &045; had consecutive singles. Ellard and Hicks both scored thanks to wild pitches, making the game 6-5 in Vidalia’s favor.

But after the second inning, Vidalia took things over.

The Vikings continued to score, putting two runs over in the third and four in the fourth. Still, Vidalia led 12-5, a solid but not overwhelming advantage.

Then the fifth inning came around. The Vikings sent 14 batters to the plate, scored nine runs &045; including Brewer’s fifth of the game &045; and wiped out any hope Cathedral had of winning. Hinson hit a three-run triple, and Reid Simpson doubled him in before scoring on a Graham Roberts pinch-hit double to put the final touches on the 16-run win.

&uot;It was a good time to break out,&uot; Vidalia head coach Johnny Lee Hoffpauir said. &uot;We had great discipline at the plate, waiting for the right pitch. We hit the ball well, and it showed. I don’t really think their errors were the difference. I think it was our hitting.&uot;

Hicks said he felt he and his teammates let their defensive mistakes get them down and affect their outlook on the game.

&uot;When our defense started to go down, our hitting stopped too,&uot; Hicks said. &uot;Everyone just dropped their heads and sort of gave up.&uot;

Beesley was unhappy with his team’s inability to make what he called routine plays on defense.

&uot;It looked like we were on our heels,&uot; Beesley said. &uot;We have to makes those plays against good competition. You see what happens when we don’t &045; we lose 21-5.&uot;

Lance Moore came into pitch for the Vikings and took the game over on his end, shutting the Green Wave out over the final three innings.

&uot;We kind of settled down after the second inning,&uot; Hoffpauir said.