David Price built Cleveland High into a softball dynasty, winning three state championships in a 10-year span. Good hitting was a staple of his teams.

Price is now the coach at Clinton and it hasn’t taken long for the Lady Arrows to grasp his philosophy.

Clinton pounded out 14 hits to beat Warren Central 8-1 on Tuesday at Lucy Young Field. The first four batters in Price’s lineup combined for 10 of the hits.

Warren Central (3-6) had just six hits and that was enough to leave Lady Vikes coach Dana McGivney frustrated.

“We didn’t hit the ball,” McGivney said. “We were flat.”

The game against Clinton was WC’s first since March 10. On Thursday, they open Division 4-6A play against crosstown rival Vicksburg at Bazinsky Park.

McGivney said the six hits WC got Tuesday will not be enough.

“If we don’t hit, we won’t beat anybody,” she said.

Price, meanwhile, said his young team must gear up for a brutal division which features defending Class 6A champion Madison Central and perennial power Northwest Rankin.

“It’s a tough division but I like that I made the move to Clinton,” Price said. “We’re so young, but I feel like we’re very similar in ways to my teams in Cleveland. They are hard-working kids. We came out today and jumped on them.”

Clinton (6-3) scored four runs in the first inning. The first four batters — Robin Russell, Tagen Remmel, Courtney Moore and Haley Irvin — all singled and scored against WC starter Darby Gain.

Gain gave up six hits in the opening frame but managed to keep the Lady Arrows from adding to the lead until the sixth inning. Unfortunately, the Lady Vike bats could manage only one run in that time. WC’s lone run came in the bottom of the first, when Katie Busby walked and scored on a hit by Megan McCullough.

Karley Hinson had a leadoff single in the fourth inning but got doubled off first base when Katie Channell’s liner was caught by Clinton pitcher Morgan Dubose.

Clinton extended its lead to 5-1 in the fifth after Remmel doubled in Russell with two outs. They added three more in the seventh off three singles, two errors and two fielder’s choices.

Hinson, who came in as the lone WC player batting over .300, had two hits to again lead the Lady Vikes. Krista Cortezie also had two hits, including a first-inning bunt that moved Busby into scoring position.

Dubose went six innings to grab the win. She got offensive support from Irvin, who finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Remmel had a triple, double and single.