[03/21/01] Warren Central coach Lucy Young was about as pleased as she could be with a loss after falling at powerhouse Madison Central, 1-0.

“It was quite an accomplishment,” she said after Tameka McDonald won the pitchers’ duel with Lauren Johnson. “She’s the best pitcher we’ll face.”

Johnson, an eighth-grader, allowed only one hit for WC (4-2) striking out three and walking two. McDonald whiffed 13, walked one.

The Lady Jaguars got their only run after back-to-back errors in the second inning. But after that, WC’s defense was airtight.

Young said Rebecca Chick robbed McDonald of extra bases with a diving catch at the left-field fence. Lyn Strawn also made a shoestring catch in center and Ashley Chaney made several good stops at first. Catcher Katie Barnett gunned down a runner at third.

Young wasn’t surprised her defense did so well despite being off since March 6.

“That’s all we’ve been working on,” she said. “This gives us reason to be optimistic.”

Clinton 10, VHS 0

For five innings, the Vicksburg Missy Gators appeared poised to spring an upset on division rival Clinton. But Clinton (5-8, 0-1 in division) scored eight runs five with two outs on five VHS errors in the top of the fifth inning to blow open a close game.

Dayna Nugent and Viola Howard each had a single and a steal, and Kelsey Hudson had a single for VHS, but that was all the hitting the Missy Gators did against Clinton left-hander Katie Duncan, who fanned nine.

Clinton took a 1-0 lead in the first, but couldn’t build on it until VHS (2-4, 0-1) came unglued.

“I think we were so focused on improving our hitting that it took away from our defense,” VHS coach Josh Harper said. “We got ahead of ourselves, and then Clinton literally got ahead of ourselves.”