WINDSOR – Six in the sixth did the trick.

Tarboro High School erased a one-run deficit by scoring six runs in the top of the sixth inning here Wednesday night to pin a 15-3 loss on Bertie High in non-conference baseball action.

“We played very good for the first five innings, but then made a couple of errors that allowed Tarboro to break the game open in the late innings,” Bertie baseball skipper Randy Whitaker said. “Plus we just didn’t hit the ball as well in this game as we’ve been doing lately.”

Down 3-2, the visiting Vikings reversed their fortunes with their six-run outburst in the sixth stanza. Tarboro then sealed the win by scoring seven times in the top of the seventh.

Bertie did mount a threat in the home half of the seventh. There, with one out, the Falcons loaded the bases thanks to a single to right by Aaron Hoggard, O.J. Dobbin reaching on an infield single and a walk to Brent Bowen. However, a double play ended the threat and the game.

The Falcons opened the scoring by plating a pair of runs in their first at-bat. Dobbin laced a double to the gap in left-centerfield and motored to third when Bowen reached on an infield single. Bo Ledford plated Dobbin by slapping an RBI single to rightfield. Bowen raced to third on the play and scored when a pick-off throw sailed wildly by third base.

After Tarboro sliced their early deficit in-half by scoring once in the top of the third, Bertie answered with a marker of their own in the bottom half of the inning. There, Bowen singled to center, stole second, moved to third on Kyle Hughes’ sacrifice fly and scored on an error.

The visitors retaliated with a run in the top of the fourth, trimming their deficit to 3-2, setting the stage for their late-inning offensive surge.

Bertie used four pitchers n Bowen, who worked the first four frames, Ledford (an inning and a third and was charged with the loss), Dakota Young and Bryce Cullipher.

Led by two hits each from Dobbin and Bowen, Bertie managed six hits during the contest.

Bertie fell to 7-15 overall with the loss.