VIDALIA &8212; Vidalia managed only one hit, and two Vidalia errors led to two unearned runs in the seventh inning Thursday night.

Somehow, though, the Vikings (9-3) escaped with a 3-2 victory over Plainview (Okla.) on the opening day of the Vidalia Invitational, thanks to a sterling pitching performance by Will Thomas.

&8220;That was a game we won despite ourselves, you could say,&8221; Vidalia coach Johnny Hoffpauir said. &8220;The credit goes to Will Thomas on the mound. He stayed strong through seven innings. His pitch count got a little high, but I don&8217;t think I could have gotten the ball out of his hand if I had wanted to.

&8220;He lost a little on his fastball late, but his control improved. That&8217;s a pretty good trade.&8221;

Thomas controlled the visiting Indians (5-4) by striking out at least one batter in every inning. Thomas, who struck out 13, allowed only three hits and walked three, said he used a simple strategy.

&8220;I was just trying to throw strikes,&8221; said Thomas, who also had an RBI. &8220;I wasn&8217;t trying to overpower them. I just wanted to get it across the plate, and if they put it in play, then that&8217;s what they did.&8221;

Vidalia scored single runs in the first, third and fourth innings, and Thomas made sure it was enough.

In the first, Thomas walked and was replaced by courtesy runner Hunter Martin. Martin moved to second on a throwing error on a pickoff play, and he advanced to third on a wild pitch. Martin scored on another wild pitch.

Tyler Bruce scored in the third when he was hit by a pitch and scored when Shayne Knapp drew a bases-loaded walk.

In the fourth, leadoff hitter Jordan Brewer walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on Thomas&8217; sacrifice fly.

Plainview&8217;s Paul Callender was the hard-luck loser, as he and Cash Greathorne limited to Vidalia to one hit &8212; a third-inning single by Josh Bennett.

Callender walked six and hit three batters, while Greathorne also hit a batter.

&8220;I think we only gave up four runs in the first game, and then we gave up three in the second one,&8221; said Plainview coach T.D. O&8217;Hara, whose team lost to Rayville 4-2 in the tournament opener.

&8220;That&8217;s a total of seven, and only five of them were earned. If somebody would have given me that proposition when we started, I&8217;d have taken it in a heartbeat.

&8220;We left a lot of runners on base.&8221;

Plainview left eight runners on base against Vidalia, including the bases loaded in the fourth.

The Indians scored two in the seventh when Patrick Simon reached on an error, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on Russell Robertson&8217;s sacrifice. He scored when Greathorne reached on another Vidalia error.

Greathorne moved to second on a wild pitch, and he scored on Caleb Green&8217;s two-out single to right-center field.

Thomas struck out Jordan Dickson to end the game.