While Clinton did everything it could to play itself out of Monday night’s softball showdown with Warren Central, the Lady Vikes did everything to win it.

WC scored two runs in the fifth on a Clinton error and heads-up baserunning and Lauren Anderson shut down the Lady Arrows for a 3-1 victory.

“We know a lot of those players and we really wanted to win this one,” said eighth-grade WC catcher Mandy Fuller.

Fuller was at the heart of almost every big play Warren Central had.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Tiffany Fuller hit a one-out single. Brittany Fuller then walked and Mandy Fuller followed with a single. Clinton pitcher Patti Collins then tried to throw out Tiffany Fuller at third base and the ball sailed into left field.

Brittany Fuller was thrown out at third base, but Mandy Fuller was able to advance to second base. She then stole third to put the go-ahead run 60 feet away.

“I got lucky on that one,” Mandy Fuller said. “I thought the ball got away from her.”

Fuller scored on a passed ball to give WC a 2-1 lead going into the sixth inning.

“We weren’t playing our top game and they wanted it a lot worse than we did,” Clinton coach Cassie Newell said. “It’s not us at all.”

Cookie Johnson, playing her first game since leading the Lady Vikes basketball team to the Class 5A state semifinals, walked to lead off the sixth. She stole second and third, then scored on Anna Jones’ sacrifice fly for a 3-1 lead.

Anderson struck out two of the final three Clinton batters to preserve the win.

Anderson has been battling a muscle ailment in her shoulder. She was making her first start in more than a week after rehabbing her shoulder.

“Being her senior year and the competition we have with Clinton, she really wanted to pitch,” WC coach Lucy Young said. “We needed her on the mound. We figured they would hit and our outfield is a lot stronger with Brittany (Fuller) in left field.”

Anderson scattered four hits and allowed one unearned run in the fourth inning. She struck out 10.

Patti Collins struck out 11 and allowed four hits in the loss.

Carra Keith had Clinton’s lone RBI when she roped a double into deep left field to score pinch-runner Samantha Torrance from first base.

“Tonight we set our goals on playing a complete game,” Young said. “… I don’t know, maybe Clinton overlooked us. They have been having such a great season, they may have been a little relaxed coming in here.”