BRANDON — With the exception of one error-filled game early in the season, Warren Central has been nearly flawless in slow-pitch softball this season. When it comes to Brandon, however, the Lady Vikes can’t seem to figure things out.

Pinch-runner Adrianna Neal scored on a single and an error in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday, giving Brandon a 1-0 win over Warren Central and the Division 6-5A championship. WC has only lost three games this season, but two have been one-run defeats at the hands of the Lady Bulldogs. Both teams have combined for four runs in the two games.

“When we get one or two runs, we’ve lost every other one,” said Brandon coach Richard Joyner, whose team improved to just 8-11 on the season. WC is 17-3. “I can’t explain it. I know they have girls that hit, and they’ve just been off when we played them.”

That was definitely the case on Tuesday. The Lady Vikes only got one hit off Brandon pitcher Whitney Warner, that a leadoff single by Andi Hearn in the third inning. WC had a few other baserunners via walks and errors, but never sent more than four batters to the plate in any inning. No runners advanced beyond first base as WC recorded 12 of its 21 outs through the air.

“It’s amazing. You get this deep into a season, you’re playing for seeding in the playoffs, and then you don’t hit. We didn’t execute the hitting fundamentals to hit a slow-pitch softball,” WC coach Lucy Young said. “We played great defensive ball. Almost perfect, except for a couple hard-hit balls that got through. But offensively? Oh my.”

WC pitcher Mandy Fuller did as well in shutting down Brandon’s lineup. She worked out of one-out jams in the first, second and fourth innings with the help of some solid defense behind her, then got into a situation from which there was no escape in the sixth.

Amber McBroom and Alicia Berry led off with singles, and Neal came in to run for Berry. A fielder’s choice and a fly out looked as if it might send the game into the seventh tied at 0-0. But Amber Adcock singled between third and short, and the ball kicked off the glove of left fielder Tiffany Fuller. Fuller recovered and made a strong throw home, but the speedy Neal beat it standing up to score the game’s only run.

Despite the setback, all was not lost for Warren Central. Since WC and Brandon are the only two teams in their division, both were already assured of a playoff berth. Instead of hosting a first-round series, WC will have to travel to Northwest Rankin.

WC does not play Meridian this season, but will get an up-close look at Northwest when the teams play Thursday in Brandon.