Dogs, Vidor facing key matchup

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Dogs, Vidor facing key matchup

AREA ROUNDUP

By Cody Pastorella

The Port Arthur News

Nederland's visit to Vidor for a 7 o'clock District 22-4A matchup with the Pirates matchup has plenty at stake for both teams.

On one hand there is Vidor, who is coming off back-to-back losses. In a span of five days, the Pirates went from undefeated and on top of District 22-4A to 5-2 after losses to Ozen (4-3) and Little Cypress-Mauriceville (6-1).

Losing always hurts but doing it in the fashion Vidor has done it in over the past week has been extra painful. On Tuesday, the Pirates endured a 13-1 thumping from LC-M.

After the last two games, there are probably only two versions the Pirates want Saturday's papers to read like. The first scenario probably goes something like: Vidor rebounds, stomps hole in Nederland. The Pirates' second choice has a slightly different ring to it but keeps the same connotation: Vidor rebounds, pulls out squeaker over Dogs.

A third straight loss could be the final straw in the Pirates' undoing this season since tonight's game is just the first game in the second half of district play.

That means Vidor has LC-M, Ozen and Port Neches-Groves (6-1) left on the schedule.

Then, there is Nederland. The Dogs are 4-3 in district, having close losses against the top three teams in the leauge. In every league loss the Bulldogs have had this season, they have led each game at one time or another.

In fact, they led Vidor 2-0 for four innings before the wheels came off and the Pirates worked the Dogs over for a 6-2 win in Nederland on March 11.

It was a very frustrating loss for Nederland considering it was the first game of district, the second straight loss and three of four to Vidor (dating back to last season). To top things off, the Pirates beat Nederland in a play-in playoff game in 2007 that kept the Dogs from the postseason.

With PN-G, LC-M and Ozen still left on the schedule, Nederland could really use a win tonight if its season plans include the playoffs.

Dropping to 4-4 and two games behind Vidor would be a considerable blow for the Bulldogs, especially, with Ozen champing at the bit.

A win keeps Nederland in some control of its own destiny, which won't be any clearer after a win tonight. But destiny looks better with a win over Vidor, rather than a loss.

In other district matchups, PN-G travels to Beaumont to play Ozen. In District 21-5A, Memorial is at Kingwood.

Port Arthur is coming off a 7-6 win over Humble on Tuesday.

PN-G, meanwhile, dismantled Dayton 8-2 on Tuesday. In the Tribe's first meeting with Ozen, PN-G crushed the Panthers 10-0. That game was scheduled to be in Beaumont but because of weather, the teams agreed to swap home sites.