Kelsey Hudson, right, and Heather Shelby, just behind her, celebrate as they leave the field at Natchez. At left, smiling, is Emily Mathes.(The Vicksburg Post/MARK THORNTON)

[10/10/01]Needing to beat Natchez by two runs to make the playoffs, Vicksburg High’s Dayna Nugent and Emily Mathes didn’t leave anything to chance.

Nugent hit a grand slam and Mathes added a crucial two-run single with two outs in the seventh inning as Vicksburg High withstood a late rally before beating the Lady Bulldogs, 13-5.

“This is the best ballgame we played all year,” first-year VHS coach Jennifer Wilkerson said. “We played with heart. We hit some rough times this season … but today I’m so proud, I saw them want a ballgame and everyone played a part.”

The Missy Gators (13-14, 1-3 Division 6-5A), who play at Petal Tuesday in the first round of the playoffs, tested their coach’s heart in the fourth and fifth innings.

After taking a 7-0 lead in the first two innings, the Missy Gators’ bats cooled off and Natchez (12-6, 1-3) pulled within two, 7-5, in the fifth inning after Chrystal Brown’s solo home run over the center-field fence.

“We knew they wouldn’t give up,” VHS outfielder Wendy Womble said.

Brown’s homer came right after VHS shortstop LaToya Trunell snared a line drive off the bat of losing pitcher Dalisa Lewis and doubled up Sara Weaver at first.

VHS scratched across two more runs in the sixth, on Brandi Parker’s blooper just behind third and Nugent’s grounder, to go up 9-5.

With Natchez needing just three runs to win the playoff spot, VHS’ defense stayed tight in the sixth inning. Seventh-grader Heather Shelby made a running back-handed grab at second, Nugent handled a hard comebacker to the mound, then Kelsey Hudson stopped a hot shot to third and Mathes made the scoop at first.

In the seventh, Katie Jenkins and Womble started a two-out rally with back-to-back singles to set the table for Mathes, who drilled a liner to right-center.

“I was nervous at first,” Mathes said. “I just wanted to hit it to that side to give them a chance to score.”

Hudson’s grounder and an overthrow to first and Shelby’s RBI single to short center, which caused a three-girl collision, drove in the final run.

“We had a chance … but when it got to 13-5, that let the air out of us,” Natchez coach Sue Johnson said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “We wanted to win so bad I think we were overanxious.”

The Missy Gators came out on a mission, starting with Parker’s leadoff single.

“That was big because we follow what she does,” Mathes said of Parker.

In the second inning, Nugent, who pitched the win, hit the ball over the left-fielder’s head for a grand slam to give VHS a 7-0 lead.

“She threw me the perfect pitch,” Nugent said. “The goal we set was to win by seven.

“This is my senior year, so I’m really excited. We want to come back with the trophy.”

Warren Central won the division championship, sweeping Natchez and VHS in the regular season. Natchez won the first meeting with VHS by a run, setting the stage for the end-of-the-season showdown for the final playoff spot.

Wilkerson didn’t sugarcoat her team’s situation going into the game.

“We told them that only winning by one was not enough,” she said.

Her team’s ability to handle that pressure encouraged Wilkerson about her team’s chances in the playoffs.

“I think we’ve got a shot,” she said. “We’re hitting our peak, I hope, at the right time.”

Trunell said the Missy Gators can sneak up on some teams “if we play to our ability.”

Womble said, “Everybody is so pumped up. We might have a bad record, but we’ve got a good team.”

Lawrence County 9, WC 1

Lauren Anderson had an RBI single in the fifth inning to account for the lone Warren Central (25-7) run.

Lawrence County scored six in the first and three in the second. The Lady Vikes were resting several players with nagging injuries.

“The bats did not show up at all,” WC coach Lucy Young said.

Warren Central opens the state playoffs on Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Wayne County in a best-of-three series at Warren Central.