MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County High baseball team could have made it quest for a playoff berth much easier on itself by defeating Coffee last Friday night in Douglas.

But the Trojans did not cooperate, winning 8-3 and defeating the Packers for the second time this season.

Now the Packers must win their final two games and get some help if they are to shoulder their way back into the playoffs.

The road to the second season starts tonight when the Packers play host to Lowndes at 6 p.m. at Ike Aultman Field at Packer Park.

If the Packers can knock off the Vikings, who have already clinched their third straight region championship – and seventh in the last nine seasons – they still will have to defeat Tift County on Friday, also at home, and hope that Houston County loses either at Tift County tonight or at home against Lowndes on Friday.

It might appear that the Packers would have an advantage, playing the last two region games at home.

But of the Packers 10 victories, just three have come at home.

The loss to the Trojans on Friday, in which the Packers managed just six hits and gave up four two-out runs in the sixth inning, made the road much more difficult.

“That was big,” said Eric McCranie, who is trying to guide his team to the playoffs in his first season as head coach. “If we had won, we’d only need to win one of these last two and we’d be in.

“But if we don’t win (tonight), it won’t matter.”

The Packers trailed just 4-3 when the Trojans came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. Matt Weaver replaced starter Andrew Wallace and struck out the first two batters. The next Trojans then reach on an 0-2 bloop single.

Weaver then picked him off first, but the Packers botched the rundown and the Trojans had a runner on second.

When the dust settled, Coffee had scored four times and broken open a close game.

The Packers had won two region games in a row and three of four, but could not get by the Trojans, who raised their region record to 6-4.

The Packers, now 10-13 overall and 4-6 in the region, got two hits from Weaver and one each from Wallace, John Michael Harrison, Javaris Jackson Bo Williams.

Harrison’s was a leadoff triple, but he was later thrown out at the plate.

The Packers again were hurt by poor defense, walks and lack of aggressiveness at the plate, McCranie said. He was especially aggravated at a number of called third strikes his players took, which led to seven runners being stranded in scoring position.

The Packers left the bases loaded twice.

“We have the ability to play with anyone, if we’ll just come out and play,” McCranie said. “Come get the ball on defense, throw strikes and be aggressive.”

McCranie said he would send either Andrew McDowell or John Michael Harrison to the mound against the Vikings tonight.

“We just need someone to throw strikes,” he said.

Although Lowndes defeated Warner Robins 11-9 on Friday to clinch the league championship, the Vikings have struggled of late.

They had to rally from an early 4-0 deficit to take out the Demons, who fall to 10-13 overall and 3-8 in the region.

Lowndes, 16-8 overall and 8-2 in the region, has won just three of its last seven games. Among the Vikings victories is a 13-3 decision over the Packers on April 3 at Noel George Field.

Also in the region tonight, Coffee will be at Warner Robins and Houston County will go to Tift County.

The region season concludes on Friday with Tift County at Colquitt County, Lowndes at Houston County and Coffee at Valdosta.