[4/1/03]As quickly as the Vicksburg Missy Gators pulled even with Warren Central, they watched that lead slip away.

Warren Central (14-5, 1-2 Division 4-5A) scored eight runs in the sixth inning and VHS starting pitcher Whitney Smith left with an injury in a 9-1 win that almost assures WC a spot in the playoffs.

Vicksburg (6-8, 0-2), which will play at Clinton today, has to beat the division-champion Lady Arrows, then come back Thursday and beat Warren Central. If VHS loses to Clinton, it would have to beat Warren Central by at least eight runs to force a tiebreaker.

“You not only wanted to win this ballgame, but win by as big a margin as you could,” WC coach Lucy Young said. “When it gets down to this time where two teams are battling for a playoff spot, every run is crucial.”

With the game tied 1-1, Smith, who had been limping most of the game, went down and had to be helped off the field. The Missy Gators were trailing 4-1 at the time and the Lady Vikes scored five more runs in the inning.

Cookie Johnson and Katie Barnett each had two hits in the inning and Hayley Martin ripped a two-RBI single as the Lady Vikes sent 12 batters to the plate.

“I think she pulled something,” said VHS coach Laquitta Smith of Whitney Smith’s injury. “I thought we played well up until then and I thought that was a key turning point.”

Johnson and Barnett led WC’s 13-hit attack with three hits each, while Martin had two hits and Keisha Blue had a single, triple and three RBIs.

Lauren Anderson pitched a complete game to get the win. She allowed three hits and struck out nine. Courtney Prentiss, Porshia Ferguson and Katie Jenkins each had a single for VHS.

The Lady Vikes were scheduled to host Vidalia, La. today at 5:30 p.m.

St. Al 13, 6 Riverside 3, 3

St. Aloysius (9-1) had 15 hits four each from Sarah Kerut and Laura Beth Lyons in the first game of a double-header sweep on Monday.

Candice Park had two singles and two RBIs, while Kelly Haden had a single and three RBIs and Mary Myers Franco and Catherine Jenkins each had two singles.

Lyons pitched a complete game and allowed three runs in the fourth inning. She struck out 10 batters.

The Lady Flashes held a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth before scoring five in the inning to put the game away.

In the second game, Kerut got the win as the Lady Flashes held off a late Riverside charge.

The visitors scored two in the fifth and one in the seventh after St. Al had built a 6-0 lead.