Tranyce Peoples, center, is mobbed by teammates Courtney Ervin, left, and Ashley Chaney after hitting a two-RBI double in the Lady Vikes’ win Tuesday. (The Vicksburg Post/Melanie Duncan)

[09/11/02]Ashley Chaney, Keisha Blue and Aleshia Stamps opened the Warren Central game Tuesday night singing the National Anthem, then helped put an end to No. 3 Brandon’s (13-1) undefeated season to the tune of a 4-3 victory.

“It gave me butterflies,” Chaney said about singing the anthem. “Coach needs to give us more warning, she just told us before the game.”

Nobody warned Brandon, either, as the Lady Vikes (6-4) began to flex their offensive muscle early in the first inning with three straight hits, capped with Chaney’s RBI to score Blue for a 1-0 lead.

Tranyce Peoples had two RBIs in the win, and Hayley Martin, the winning pitcher, and Chaney each had an RBI to lead the Lady Vikes.

“When you play one of the best, you’ve got to play at their level,” Warren Central coach Lucy Young said.

The two teams competed in a defensive struggle until the top of the third inning when Brandon’s Kala Griffith brought in Katie Joyner on a single to tie the score at 1-1.

The Lady Vikes stormed back in the bottom of the fourth on four straight hits and three runs to go up 4-1.

Peoples brought in Lauren Anderson and Chaney with a double, and Martin brought in Anna Mitchell on a sacrifice fly.

“We haven’t even tapped into how good this team can be with the talent we have,” Young said.

The Lady Bulldogs showed why they started the season undefeated as they rallied in the sixth inning with two runs, scoring Griffith and Tiffany Holman on a Lady Vikes’ outfield error and Aubrey Evans’ sacrifice fly to close the lead to 4-3.

But Martin and the Lady Vikes’ defense proved to be too much for Brandon as they shut down the next four batters.

“It’s just so nice to finally put together a good game against a good team,” Young said.