Neither Horizon coach Eric Kibler or Mesquite coach Jeff Holland had much good to say about their baseball teams on Friday after Horizon hung on for a 5-4 victory at Mesquite.

Kibler met with his team very briefly afterwards and it wasn't "Great game. Way to go."

Holland chatted longer, but focused on many mistakes as the defending champs dropped to 3-8 overall and 2-4 in power-ranking game). It was a three-loss week -- all power-ranking defeats -- and the Wildcats have lost five in a row overall.

These are two proud, successful programs that enjoy winning -- but also demand a quality performance win or lose. The game lacked that from both perspectives.

"Our infield defense won the game for us," Kibler said. "Other than that the rest of our game was terrible. I think they believe they are the 2007 (championship) team. They are just an average baseball team. That's not to take anything away from Mesquite. We'll take the victory, but I call it a survival victory." Horizon got 14 of the 21 outs on ground balls, one a 5-4-3 double play.

Horizon (6-4, 3-1 power-ranking games) took 4-0 and 5-1 leads the first half of the game. The Huskies hung on to win dodging trouble in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. RBI in the first inning from Ben Lewis  (solo homer) and Tony Sortino (single) made it 2-0 after one. Andrew Donovan (3-for-3) and Kobie Tinsley knocked in a run each in the third inning. A Mesquite throwing error in the fifth allowed Horizon to score its final run which proved to be the difference.

Horizon starter Colin King picked up the win, going 3 1/3 innings and allowing three runs. Relievers Danny Berger and Evan Williams limited Mesquite to an unearned run the rest of the way.

Williams pitched three of the innings. He came on to protect a 5-3 lead and flirted with giving up the lead in the fifth by walking the first two batters. He balked in the run Mesquite scored in the inning. An ill-advised attempt to take third by Parker Holland with no outs in the inning on a pitch in the dirt ended with Holland thrown out at third. The Wildcats' top hitter -- Carson Burton -- was at the plate. Williams bounced back after the first out to get the next two.

Williams, who moved in to pitch from his centerfield spot, settled in and retired Mesquite in order in the sixth and quickly secured the first two outs in the seventh. He put the tying and winning runs on via a hit batter and walk, but got Burton to bounce out on a sharp, tricky hopper to first.

"I hate to lose," Jeff Holland said.  "It's worse when you don't play well still have a chance to win and don't. We had chances to win a couple games this week and didn't. It doesn't sit well."

Pitching has been the best part of Mesquite's game, at least in power-ranking games save on outing. Junior Noah Schoenhardt, tossed four innings of relief to keep Mesquite in the game. He allowed an unearned run and one hit. Mesquite's offense has been uncharcteristically quiet of late. The Wildcats have scored 16 runs in their last seven games.