Warren Central wins in tuneup for playoffs|[04/13/07]

Published 12:00 am Friday, April 13, 2007

Lawrence County’s aggressive baserunning got the better of it Thursday against Warren Central.

Lady Vike catcher Mandy Fuller was able to turn a game-ending double play as WC escaped with a 6-5 win on senior night at Lady Vikes Field.

The Lady Vikes (13-9-1) were up 6-4 in the top of the seventh but the Cougars had loaded the bases with one out after Dee Dee Waller was hit by a pitch.

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Tiara Townsend’s ground ball to WC’s Shawn Johnson at short put in motion a flurry of activity which resulted in one run scored and a game-ending double play.

One run was already in before Johnson made a throw. Rhianna Garrett tried to force the issue by rolling by third and heading home. The throw home to Fuller got her out by four feet.

Fuller then saw Waller trying to go to third and made a quick throw to Kirsten Tackett, who made the tag for the final out.

&#8220A play like that makes the game interesting,” Fuller said. &#8220The last girl kind of overran the bag and Kirsten made a good play. We also had a good throw from Tai (Wince) to get another girl out at the plate.”

The Cougars (15-12) had five runners thrown out on the basepaths in the game, including two each in the sixth and seven innings.

&#8220That’s how we run the bases. We try to draw that bad throw,” Lawrence coach Beronica Stringfellow said.

&#8220It was an unconvential way to win a game but we’ll take it,” added WC coach Dana McGivney. &#8220Lawrence County is very solid. But we hit the ball and we’re beginning to play better at the end of the season. Things are moving in the right direction for us.”

Both teams are headed to the playoffs. Lawrence County won its division and will be at home to start the Class 4A playoffs.

Warren Central also won its division and will host Ocean Springs Saturday at 1 p.m. in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.

WC grabbed a 3-0 lead after four straight hits off Lawrence’s Ashley Jones in the first inning.

The Cougars scored single runs in the second and fifth to trim the deficit to 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Vikes scored two when Mandy Fuller and Kaitlyn Patton delivered a pair of two-out hits to make it 5-2.

The Cougars had four hits in the sixth inning off WC’s Tiffany Fuller but got only one run to make it 5-3. Wince’s relay throw to Mandy Fuller caught Townsend at the plate for a key out and kept WC ahead by two runs.

In the WC sixth, Tackett roped a shot over the left-fielder’s head for an inside-the-park home run to put the Lady Vikes up 6-3. Tackett finished with two hits, including a double in the fourth.

Mandy Fuller and Patton each drove in two runs off two hits. Andi Hearn also had two hits.