For the better part of four innings, a young Vicksburg team hung tight with an equally young Northwest Rankin squad.

But in the end, it was about the little things. The Lady Cougars (17-8-1) made the pitches when it counted. They made the defensive plays when it counted. They could get down the bunt, put together good at-bats and hit with runners in scoring position.

The Missy Gators (11-12) did none of those things in an 11-0 loss in Game 1 of a Class 6A best-of-three, first-round playoff series at Bazinsky Park. Five Vicksburg errors proved extremely costly.