[08/21/02]The top four batters for Northwest Rankin sent Warren Central (2-1) to a loss in a battle of slow-pitch heavyweights.

Kristen Preble, Nikki McClaskey, Lauren Preble and Adrienne Ard combined to go 10-for-14 and scored five of the Lady Cougars’ six runs in a 6-4 win Tuesday at Warren Central.

“We still need to get the bottom of the order hitting,” said Northwest Rankin (5-1) coach Gwen White, who watched the rest of the lineup go 4-for-19. “We thought (Warren Central) wouldn’t hit it, but they did.”

Tranyce Peoples led Warren Central with a single and a triple, while Cookie Johnson had two singles and an RBI, Ashley Chaney had a single and a double and Keisha Blue had an RBI double.

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Vikes scored two runs on Chaney’s RBI double and a Johnson single that scored Chaney to pull WC to 5-4.

A costly error in the top of the seventh allowed another Northwest Rankin run to score, giving the Lady Cougars a 6-4 lead heading into the bottom of the last inning.

“A little, simple error at the wrong time,” said WC coach Lucy Young of the seventh-inning miscue. “We should have shut that down.”

After the ball got past Johnson and rolled into left-center field, Katie Barnett fired the ball home trying to get Kristi Gibbs, who was trying to score from second. The ball was misplayed by catcher Tranyce Peoples, allowing the sixth run to score.

“Tranyce is very upset,” Young said. “She knows she was not ready for that throw. It was a perfect throw, you can’t get any better than that. She’ll be ready next time.”

Kristen Navarra, making her first varsity start, pitched seven innings and allowed nine hits. Hayley Martin took the loss.

Northwest Rankin scored two in the first behind three singles and a triple from the top four batters.

The Lady Vikes responded with two in the bottom of the inning. An RBI flyout by Johnson and an RBI double from Blue tied the game.

The Lady Vikes are scheduled to host Madison Central on Thursday at 6 p.m.