[9/19/03]Clutch hitting and solid defense carried Warren Central to a rare slow-pitch shutout on Thursday.

Candice McKay had an RBI triple, while Cookie Johnson and Brittany Fuller both had RBI singles among their two hits as the Lady Vikes (9-6) blanked Clinton 6-0.

WC scored five of its six runs with two outs, and kept Clinton off the board with a solid defensive effort. WC didn’t commit any errors, and stranded three Clinton runners in scoring position after they had reached base with less than two outs.

“It’s exciting. When you come out here and you work hard on these hot afternoons and spend so much time running drills and on these dusty fields, to come together and put together a good game offensively and defensively, it’s a reward,” WC coach Lucy Young said.

After Clinton (12-7) squandered a leadoff triple by Maranda Anderson in the first inning, WC took the lead for good in the bottom of the second.

Johnson led off with a single, and scored on a two-out triple to left by McKay. Fuller followed with an RBI single, then scored on a base hit by Anna Jones to make it 3-0. Fuller had stopped after rounding third, but was able to score when the throw from the outfield hit Clinton catcher Reann Malone on the shinguard and skipped away. It was one of two Clinton errors in the inning, and four in the game. All of the errors led to WC runs.

WC added to the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Lauren Anderson delivered a one-out double, and Fuller got a two-out single.

As Fuller tried to get caught in a rundown and give Anderson a chance to score, Clinton third baseman Patti Collins threw the ball into right field. Anderson scored easily, and Fuller circled the bases to put the Lady Vikes ahead 5-0.

An RBI single by Johnson in the bottom of the fifth capped the scoring for WC.

WC will host division rival Natchez on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. The teams will play the last three innings of a game suspended by rain on Aug. 28, then play the regularly scheduled game afterward.