Kori Crutchfield was mobbed by her players, each one screaming and struggling to hold her in place as another group looked for a water cooler.

The Vicksburg Missy Gators were happy and laughing after playing their best game of the season on Thursday. So happy, in fact, that it was hard to tell they had lost.

Vicksburg (2-15, 1-2 Division 6-5A) hung tough against archrival Warren Central and avoided a repeat of a messy 10-0 defeat earlier this season. This time, the Lady Vikes struggled to score runs and had to scrap and claw for everything they got in a 3-0 victory.

“We’ve gone from a really down season to proving something to ourselves,” Crutchfield said. “That’s the reason why we’re cheering and having a good time, because we got more hits in this game than we have all season, made fewer errors than we have all season and we just played heads-up ball.”

Brittany Fuller and Cookie Johnson each went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a run scored for WC (11-3, 4-0), which clinched the Division 6-5A title with the win. Despite the loss, Vicksburg has also clinched a playoff spot.

Warren Central had runners on in every inning but never got a big hit to blow the game open. Instead, the Lady Vikes manufactured all three runs with singles, stolen bases and station-to-station ball.

“We’ve played three games in three weeks,” WC coach Lucy Young said. “With the rainouts and all, not using that as an excuse, but you could tell we were pretty rusty. I thought Vicksburg played an excellent game.”

Warren Central’s aggressiveness eventually led to runs, but it backfired early.

In the bottom of the first, Tiffany and Brittany Fuller reached base with nobody out before their sister, Mandy, lined out to VHS shortstop Kaci Flaherty. Flaherty quickly stepped on second to double up Tiffany Fuller, then threw to first to get Brittany Fuller and complete a triple play.

In the second inning, WC put together one of its few rallies.

Johnson reached on a one-out single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Anna Miller followed with an RBI groundout to give WC a 1-0 lead.

The third inning brought more of the same. Andi Hearn led off with a single, moved around the bases on a groundout and a flyout, and scored on a wild pitch. Then, with two outs, Brittany Fuller singled and went to second on an error.

Fuller then stole third and scored when the throw got by VHS’ Haley Jones, making it 3-0.

“We’re pretty good baserunners once we can get there. Tonight we just couldn’t link everything together,” Young said. “After we got three, I came over and said, ‘Girls, our offense is not on top of its game tonight. We’re going to have to rely on our defense.'”

That was all the scoring for either team. With help from her defense, Vicksburg pitcher Kristi Shelby did a good job of pitching out of several jams and WC’s Lauren Anderson did the same.

The Missy Gators’ outfield threw out two runners on the basepaths and WC didn’t get a runner past second base after the third inning. Shelby, an eighth-grader, scattered seven hits and struck out five in seven innings.

“I was very proud of her. She pitched an excellent game,” Crutchfield said of Shelby’s effort. “I think she pitched faster tonight than she has all season long. She was real focused going into the game. The whole team was.”

Anderson, meanwhile, allowed only three hits and struck out seven to earn the win. Four runners reached third against her, but she was able to get a pop up, strikeout or lucky break every time she needed it.

Vicksburg’s best chance came in the top of the fifth, when Courtney Prentiss singled and went to third on an error, and Heather Shelby followed with a two-out walk.

Shelby rounded first and tried to draw a throw from Anderson, hoping to get caught in a rundown and give the speedy Prentiss a chance to score. Instead, Shelby stopped halfway between first and second when Anderson cocked her arm to throw, and was called out.

In fast-pitch softball, a runner must commit to a base in that situation. Stopping, as Shelby did, results in an out.

“We always had runners on, so we never got out of this game,” Heather Shelby said. “That’s the good thing. We were staying in, and I was proud of us.”