Warren Central got some key hits at times but just didn’t have enough of them Saturday afternoon in a first round Class 5A playoff tripleheader at Lucy Young Field.

The Lady Vikes had just five hits in two games, and lost to Madison Central 4-2 and Southaven 3-2. The losses ended WC’s season at 14-8. Madison Central (15-8-2) and Southaven (17-8) will meet Tuesday at 4 p.m. at WC to decide who advances to the second round. Madison Central, which lost 1-0 to Southaven in the day’s first game, must win twice.

“We were able to bounce back from the first loss by putting some runs on the board against Warren Central,” Madison Central coach Kayla Watkins said. The Lady Jaguars did so by outhitting the Lady Vikes 12-2.

“We did not hit the ball in either game,” WC coach Dana McGivney said. “We played solid defense. I’m very proud of what we did this season. We beat Clinton and we won the district championship. We lose three great seniors, but I like what I have coming back.”

The Madison Central loss was the final game for WC’s standout seniors Andi Hearn, Mandy Fuller and Shelbi Conerly. Hearn and Fuller had one last hurrah together when they turned a pretty 1-2-3 double play to end a Lady Jaguar threat in the top of the seventh. Madison had ripped four straight singles in the inning but could not extend its 4-2 lead. WC’s Sydnei Smith threw out a runner from center for the inning’s first out.

WC, however, could not translate the outstanding defense into offense. Madison Central’s Kelly Young finished off a two-inning relief job by retiring WC in order in the bottom of the seventh. The first two came on strikeouts and the game-ending out came on a fly to center by Katie Busby. Young struck out four of the seven batters faced.

McGivney got a good game from pitcher Chelsea Worley, who threw four shutout innings. WC was then able to grab a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Mallory Reynolds hit a fly ball deep into center to score Chasity Hearn.

Madison Central rallied back in the top of the fifth scoring three times. Singles by Katie Simpson and Brittney McBain along with a misplayed fielder’s choice allowed the Lady Jaguars to tie the game at 1. With two out and the bases still loaded, Young singled up the middle to score Ashley Norman and Kelsi Vandervender for a 3-1 lead.

WC got a run back in its fifth as Smith tripled to deep left to score Busby, who had reached on a two-out walk.

“We had several people with really good at-bats, like Sydnei’s hit and a fly ball by Mallory (Reynolds) to get us a run. We just needed more of them,” McGivney said.

Ashley Norman went 3-for-4 to lead Madison Central. McBain and Young each had two hits. Lindsey Morris went the first five innings to grab the win, allowing just two hits, both to Smith. She struck five to give her 20 on the day. She had 15 against Southaven. 

Southaven 3, WC 2

The Lady Vikes trailed 3-0 but then struck for two runs in the sixth as the senior tandem of Hearn and Fuller got it going. Hearn singled with one out and Fuller followed with a triple to left-center to plate Hearn to make it 3-1. Chasity Hearn then brought Fuller in on a fly out to left to make it 3-2.

Southaven pitcher Lacie Patterson, however, came back to strike out the side in the bottom of the seventh to send WC to an elimination game with Madison Central.

Ashley James had a bunt single and a solo inside-the-park home run to lead Southaven (17-8), which won its second game of the day. Patterson got the win and struck out nine while allowing just three hits. Andi Hearn had two hits to lead WC.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com