RIDGELAND — When they couldn’t seem to buy a hit with runners in scoring position, the Warren Central Vikings got creative.

They got an RBI single on a pitch that bounced. They tagged up and scored on a 100-foot pop up, drew a bases-loaded walk and took advantage of errors.

It was then that the runs came in gobs.

The Vikings scored in each of the last four innings after leaving eight runners on base in the first three, and routed Ridgeland 11-0 on Saturday afternoon.

“We had seven hits in the first six outs of the game and hadn’t scratched. That’s frustrating. In big games, you’ve got to have those hits and we didn’t. We left runners out there early,” Warren Central coach Conner Douglas said. “But, we continued to compete and I’m proud of them for that. They started getting those hits and the ball started falling for us.”

Zach Cox had three hits for Warren Central (2-0), while Connor Wilkinson reached base four times and scored twice.

Wilkinson also broke the ice for the Vikings in the fourth inning when he flailed at a curveball that bounced in the dirt, but somehow got enough of the bat on it to send it to right field for a base hit. That brought in the Vikings’ first run, and they were off and running from there.

“It seemed like the bat met the ball right as it hit the ground. It was a perfect chip shot,” Wilkinson said with a laugh. “I had two strikes and saw the curveball, and I just didn’t want to strike out. I wanted to put it in play.”

Not only did Wilkinson’s hit put WC on the board, it seemed to set a tone for an odd day at Ridgeland’s Titans Field.

With runners on second and third and no outs in the fifth inning, John Austin Burris lifted a pop up just behind second base. Ridgeland shortstop J.P. Elkins caught it, but WC courtesy runner Blake Watkins tagged from third as he did so.

Watkins knocked the ball out of the mitt of catcher Tyler Seal on a close play at the plate to score a run that put WC ahead 3-0.

The Vikings added three more runs in that inning, including one on a bases-loaded walk to Brooks Boolos, as they batted around and blew the game open.

WC scored five unearned runs in the sixth and seventh to finish the rout. Ridgeland committed five errors in the game, and none of WC’s runs were earned.

The Titans also took themselves out of a potential rally by batting out of order in the bottom of the fourth inning.

“Just getting the first run takes a lot of pressure off of everybody. Everybody wants to join in and do their part,” said Wilkinson, who singled twice, walked and was hit in the helmet by a pitch.

Warren Central’s offensive antics overshadowed a dominant pitching performance by junior left-hander Taft Nesmith.

Nesmith allowed two hits, no walks, and struck out nine in five shutout innings. He worked out of a jam in the first inning and then retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced before giving way to the bullpen.

“Taft threw great,” Douglas said. “He locates, man. He stays in the zone, he stays on the knees, and his changeup looks the same as a fastball and just falls off the table. He doesn’t go deep in the counts. He goes right at them, his defense stays alive, and that’s why he’s throwing so well.”