Big games seem to bring out the best in Warren Central’s Eric Douglas. It was certainly the case Thursday night at Viking Field as Douglas overcame a shaky first inning to slam the Vicksburg Gators 8-2.

Douglas retired 18 of the last 19 Gators he faced, including the final 15 in a row, to garner the win in the key Divison 3-5A contest.

&#8220I was just throwing pitches and I guess my stuff was working,” Douglas said. &#8220I got my curve over and was able to hit the outside corner with the fastball.”

Douglas struck out nine, with six coming on called third strikes. The lone VHS baserunner after the first inning was a two-out walk to Judd Mims in the second.

&#8220The last three or four games, we’ve just shut down at the plate after a good start,” VHS coach Jamie Creel said. &#8220We don’t have that intensity for all seven innings, and it’s something we have got to find.”

The win puts the Vikings (11-4, 5-0) two games ahead of the Gators (10-4, 3-2) and three games ahead of Madison Central in the division. The two teams meet again tonight at 7 at Bazinsky Field.

The Gators used small ball to create a 2-0 lead in the first. Jordan Henry laid down a perfect bunt and run to move Steven Price, who had led off with a single, to third. Price later scored on a passed ball while Henry came in on Tyler Wells’ bunt hit.

&#8220They kind of fooled us on the bunts. We weren’t expecting that,” Douglas said.

&#8220Eric is such a bulldog. He didn’t let the bunts interfere with his pitching,” WC coach Randy Broome said. &#8220He stayed focused and threw strikes. He has such a competitive edge to him.”

WC got a run back in its half of the first off an error and two hits. In the second, they grabbed a 3-2 lead when Jonathan Ettinger ripped a two-out double to score Jeff Ward and Nick Carson.

Douglas sat the Gators down in order in the third and fourth innings. He then let his bat put the Gators under his thumb.

Carson led off the WC fourth with a walk, then stole second and went to third on a passed ball. On a grounder from Ettinger, Carson’s quick dart home distracted VHS shortstop Jordan Henry enough to cause a boot. Douglas then ripped Price for a two-run homer into the trees in left for a 6-2 lead.

&#8220It was one of the hardest balls I’ve hit this year,” Douglas said of his fifth home run of the season.

Josh Gordon reached when a pop fly fell behind the pitcher’s mound. Ben Koestler followed with a two-run homer to left to make it 8-2.

&#8220I hit it off the end of my bat,” said Koestler, who finished 3-for-3. &#8220It got out of the park but it wasn’t hit as hard as Eric’s.”

&#8220We’re putting things together. We’re aggressive on the bases and we’re getting timely hitting,” Broome added.

Douglas (4-2) finished off his three-hit gem by retiring the last nine Gator batters, including four on strike outs.

Price (3-1) took the loss, giving up eight runs on nine hits. Only four runs were earned. Avery Mathes threw 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Carson ended with three runs scored on a hit and two walks. Ettinger drove in three while Douglas and Koestler knocked in two each on their home runs.