For two innings Tuesday, Warren Central kept pace with Brandon. Then Whitney Warner and the Lady Bulldogs put their foot on the accelerator, while the Lady Vikes got stuck in neutral.

Warner, Brandon’s pitcher, scattered four hits and had 16 strikeouts to lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 6-0 win at Lady Vikes Field. Warner also helped her own cause by going 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs.

Tiffany Fuller was almost as good for Warren Central (2-2), going 2-for-3 with two doubles and a walk while striking out 11 batters in the circle. WC was hurt, though, by a lack of offensive punch in key situations.

The Lady Vikes left seven runners on base, including four in scoring position. WC had runners on in every inning except the second.

&#8220We got runners on and couldn’t move them around. That was the big thing,” Warren Central coach Dana McGivney said. &#8220That’s what killed us. We have to hit the ball when they hit the ball.”

Fuller kept Brandon in check for the first two innings and the last two. She struck out five of the first nine batters she faced, then retired the last eight batters in order.

Unfortunately for the Lady Vikes, everything in between was a mess. Brandon’s Kala Purry walked to lead off the top of the third, was bunted to second and advanced to third on a wild pitch with two outs. Lindsey Keyes then singled her in to put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 1-0, and Alicia Berry followed with another base hit to set the stage for Warner.

Warner belted a shot down the left field line that rolled almost all the way to the fence. Keyes and Berry both scored and Warner ended up at third with a triple and a 3-0 lead, just moments after it seemed the Lady Vikes would escape the inning with minimal damage.

&#8220It makes you feel good. It gives you more room to throw more pitches and gives you more breathing room,” Warner said.

Amber Adcock tripled and scored on Purry’s sacrifice bunt to make it 4-0 in the fourth, and Warner came up with another big hit in the fifth.

With runners on first and second, Warner lifted a pitch into right field for an RBI single. Berry tried to advance to third on the play, and the throw skipped past WC third baseman Andi Hearn, allowing Berry to score for a 6-0 lead.

&#8220Tiffany pitched a great game. In the middle they connected, and at the end she’s throwing the same pitches. So they got lucky in the middle,” McGivney said with a laugh.