[03/21/02]Coach Randy Broome has a surprising explanation for Warren Central’s winning streak.

“This team has learned how to lose,” he said before Tuesday’s 13-6 throttling of No. 3 Clinton. “I know that sounds funny … but it takes a lot of maturity and character to put a loss behind you and bounce back.”

And bounce back they did, winning their fourth in a row to bounce the Arrows out of the top spot in the Division 4-5A standings.

After losing three of four to start spring break including a humbling 19-8 pounding at the hands of Neville, La. the Vikings (15-4) have looked like the team that finished 36-3 and rolled to the 2001 Class 5A state championship in their last four games.

They have cranked out 46 hits in their last three games and had five homers against Clinton.

It was a much-needed boost for a team that surpassed last year’s loss total at midseason.

“I guess we’re back on the map,” Broome said after the win.

But he knows it’s going to take a lot of work to stay there.

The Vikings are only a third of the way through their division schedule. They have to face archrival Vicksburg two more times and Clinton two more times.

“To be realistic, we’ll probably lose some more,” he said. “It’s how we handle that that matters.”

Same goes for defense.

“When the defense is shaky, we have to show the character to come back and make the next play,” he said. “I’m big on focus. That’s what you have to do to get past those things.”

WC did that against Clinton, following up each of its three errors with strong defensive plays to avoid big innings.

“We came into this year knowing that we were pursuing another championship,” as opposed to defending last year’s title, said Broome, whose team dropped from the top ranking in The Clarion-Ledger to No. 7 and is now No.6

“We knew we’d be playing quality teams every night and that should excite you as a baseball player.”

In a schedule full of landmines and with new personnel at key positions, the Vikings have, at times, made routine plays seem difficult and baserunning an adventure.

Finding the right chemistry has been a challenge, Ole Miss signee Brian Pettway said last week.

“Last year, everyone knew what they were doing before we stepped onto the field, but this year we’re having to find the holes and fill them in as best as we can,” he said.

The most glaring physical difference between last year’s team and this one is the dominating pitching of Taylor Tankersley. The Alabama freshman was as close to perfect last year as one can be. His 13-0 record and string of eight straight shutouts gave WC a feeling of invincibility.

Also, no one has stepped up to replace Kevin Coker, the team’s emotional sparkplug. He kept the excitement level at a fever pitch.

These Vikings are loaded with senior leaders, but none is particularly vocal.

“Kevin and them were a big part of the team on the field and off,” Pettway said. “They were the emotional leaders and they got everyone up before the game, every game. We need to find someone to do that for us this year.”

Last week, Broome challenged his team to pick up the intensity offensively. They answered with 46 hits in their last three games.

The top of the lineup Chris Hite, John Morgan Mims and Pettway combined to go 8-for-14 with five homers against Clinton.

“We have some guys going up there with the right approach and they are hitting the baseball,” Broome said. “If we can start getting that filtering through our lineup, we’ll start to get some things through.”