Vicksburg has to make the routine plays or there will be more games like the one Monday with Clinton.

The Missy Gators committed  critical errors to extend Clinton’s 15-run first inning. The undefeated Lady Arrows (7-0) went on to post an 18-0 win at Bazinsky Park.

Vicksburg coach Amanda Yocum said her team’s errors let the game get out of hand.

“Yeah, we’re a young team but we have to get outs when we have a chance to get an out,” Yocum said. “Clinton has got a good team, but that first inning killed us. We had two plays on our left side and a dropped pop-fly.”

Clinton’s first five batters reached on two hits, two errors and a walk. Four of the five scored before Vicksburg pitcher Faith Thomas got an out on a strikeout.

Thomas pitched reasonably well and finished with five strikeouts. Of Clinton’s 18 runs, only six were earned. The Missy Gators (1-3) had four errors in the first inning and nine in the game.

“She did pitch well at times, but she also had some walks,” Yocum said of Thomas.

Clinton had nine hits in the first inning. They batted around more than twice, with the top three batters getting three at-bats each. Anna Godfrey, who drove in five, plated three runs off a bases-clearing double on her second turn in the first inning.

“We’ve been hitting the ball well all year. It’s why we’re 7-0. We’ve stepped up and played well,” Clinton coach Kevin Griffin said.

Clinton scored just once over the next two innings as Thomas fanned three and the defense made some plays, including a nice grab from Tira Erwin in center to end the Lady Arrows’ third inning.

At the plate, Vicksburg was outmatched by Clinton’s Anna Kate Jackson. She retired the first seven Missy Gators before issuing a two-out walk to Paige Bowser in the third.

Haley Irwin came on in relief in the fourth and struck out three, but Vicksburg’s Lea Davies did manage to get her team’s only hit of the game with a double to right.

Clinton finished with 13 hits. Robin Russell, Jackson, Irwin, Molly Turner and Valencia Thigpen each had two hits for the Lady Arrows.

Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com