SOUTHAVEN – Every baseball player dreams of getting up in the bottom of the last inning in a tie game against a bitter rival and delivering a walk-off, game-winning hit.

Vicksburg’s Tyler Wells never thought it would be quite like this.

The Gators’ junior was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Jordan Henry and give the Gators a 4-3 win in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. It was the Gators’ second game of the day, while Warren Central was playing its third game.

&#8220If I had two hats, I would take one off to our team for the way they battled, but I would certainly take the other one off for (Jeff) Ward,” said Vicksburg coach Jamie Creel of the Warren Central starting pitcher who threw seven innings in the loss. &#8220That was as gutsy a pitching performance I have seen from a guy that hadn’t thrown many innings for them.”

Ward, the Vikings’ fourth pitcher in the rotation, held Vicksburg to three runs through the first six innings. Warren Central was able to tie the game with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh.

After getting an out, a tiring Ward walked speedy Jordan Henry, who quickly swiped second base. Ward then retired Eric Coleman and WC elected to intentionally walk leading hitter Steven Price. Vernon Wolfe then walked on four pitches to load the bases and bring Wells to the plate.

&#8220I was looking for anything to score on,” said Henry, who was at third.

The first pitch hit Wells in the thigh. Henry leaped in the air, pumped a fist and ran home with the game-winning run.

&#8220The ball slipped. I didn’t have a good grip on it,” said Ward, who gave up five hits over seven innings. &#8220It was a changeup that got away. I let the team down, it was in my hands.”

Ward’s performance was not the only dazzler on a day that saw both teams’ pitching staffs pushed to the brink. Vicksburg sophomore Stanton Price, who threw a complete game shutout on Thursday night against Southaven, learned he would be the starting pitcher in the third inning of Saturday’s first game, a 16-4 WC blowout.

&#8220About the third inning, I told coach I wanted the ball,” the lefty said.

He responded with another brilliant performance, holding the Vikings (20-11) off the board for five innings. He allowed two runs in the sixth inning on a two-RBI double by Ben Koestler and again got in a jam in the seventh. He delivered a one-out walk to Cody Ferguson, then gave up a single to Nick Carson to put runners on first and second with one out.

Steven Price, Stanton’s older brother and loser of the first game, came on in relief. He gave up an RBI groundout to Jonathan Ettinger for the second out. With Carson on third with the go-ahead run, Wells made a diving stop at third base and nipped Eric Douglas at first to end the Vikings’ threat and set up the decisive seventh inning.

&#8220I wanted to get back out there and show them I could do it because in the first game, they absolutely smashed the ball,” said Steven Price, who lasted only 2 1/3 innings in the first game and gave up eight runs on nine hits. &#8220Coming in for Stanton, it makes the adrenaline pump a little more.”

Vicksburg (20-8) was able to take the lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Steven Price.

Each team remained scoreless until the fourth when Vicksburg senior Gerald Mims belted a two-run home run for a 3-0 lead.

Price and the Gators were forced to play a deciding third game after Warren Central battered the VHS pitching staff for a mercy-rule shortened win in the first. WC cranked out 16 hits and used an eight-run third that saw Vicksburg change pitchers twice. Carson pitched the win, a five-inning effort, forcing the teams to play again. It was Warren Central’s third game of the day after starting the morning with a 15-8 win over host Southaven.

&#8220Playing three in a row like that, you can’t ask for anything more out of these guys,” Broome said. &#8220They clawed, scraped, scrapped and any other word you want to use. The whole effort, from everyone on this team, was there tonight.”

Henry ended the second game with two hits, while Wells and Steven Price doubled to go with Mims’ home run.

Carson had two of the Vikings’ six hits, a far cry from the first-game outburst. Ettinger, Douglas and Carson all homered, while Ward and Kyle Calhoun had two hits apiece. Ettinger ended the day with four hits in five at-bats.

&#8220I guess Stanton learned from his brother in the first game,” Ward said. &#8220When he put it over the plate, we smashed it.”

The Vikings didn’t solve Stanton Price in the nightcap until the fifth inning. Price threw a steady diet of changeups to keep the fastball-savvy Vikings off-balance.

Vicksburg will now play Northwest Rankin beginning Friday in a best-of-three series.

&#8220You just hate that it ended like it did,” Broome said. &#8220But Vicksburg has a good squad and they battled. My hat’s off to both teams.”

WC 15, Southaven 8.

Warren Central earned the rematch with the Gators with an offensive explosion against Southaven.

Kyle Calhoun went 4-for-5 and Josh Gordon singled, homered and drove in three runs as the Vikings took command early.

WC led 8-2 in the fifth before Southaven scored five runs to get to within 8-7. The Vikings responded with an eight-run fifth and cruised through the final innings.