VIDALIA — Defensive struggles and silent bats were the name of the game as the Vidalia Vikings once again came up short 9-3 in an important District 3-3A game versus Marksville.

Blake Juneau, Marksville’s ace pitcher and big hitter, started off the game with an RBI single in the first inning to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

Marksville then scored four more runs in the third inning to take a commanding 5-0 lead.

“We struggled on defense once again,” Vidalia head coach Johnny Lee Hoffpauir said. “We couldn’t make the plays we needed to.”

Vidalia had nothing to answer the Tigers with, collecting only one base hit in the first five innings.

The sixth inning was the only bright spot in the game for the Vikings as they started off the inning with two singles by Caleb Vines and Mason Ozburne.

Vidalia’s cleanup hitter Jake DeWeese then belted a three-run shot over the left-centerfield fence to make the game 9-3.

The Vikings quieted the Tigers in the seventh inning, but couldn’t get anything going offensively in the bottom of that inning and watched Marksville celebrate a big district win in the visitor’s dugout.

“This thing is still wide open,” Hoffpauir said. “We’ve got three losses and Marksville has two. This could come down to the last game of the season. The loss makes it tougher for us though.”

Juneau collected the win for Marksville while Vidalia’s Seth Thompson was dealt the loss.

Jamey Chelette had a big night for the Tigers batting 4-for-5 with three singles and a two-run homerun.

DeWeese drove in all three runs for Vidalia while Vines batted 2-for-3 with a double and a single.

Vidalia travels to Buckeye Thursday for a District 3-3A matchup with the Panthers.