Warren Central made quick work of Columbus in Game 1 of a Class 6A first-round series.

The visiting Falcons helped out by committing seven errors as Warren Central (16-13) rolled to a 13-3 rout that was called after five innings by the run rule.

The series resumes today in Columbus, with Game 2 set for 4 p.m. Columbus must win to extend the series to a third game, which would follow immediately after Game 2.

Because Warren Central ace Cody Waddell was pulled after just two innings of scoreless work, the Falcons (15-9) will see him again today. Warren Central coach Josh Abraham, however, was non-committal in how he’ll use his star righthander.

“Don’t know right now, we’ll see how he feels when we get off the bus,” Abraham said. “It’s still all hands on deck. It’s (Columbus) a tough place to play.”

The Falcons had finished second in Division 2-6A behind a standout pitching staff and a defense that has posted seven shutouts, including a 2-0 win at Tupelo on Wednesday to clinch their playoff berth. They were a no show Friday at Viking Field.

Columbus coach Jeffrey Cook pulled no punches in describing the debacle.

“It seemed like we made more like 11 errors,” Cook said. “This was our worst game in two months. Every player in the infield made at least one, so it was contagious. We’re still very young, but that’s not an excuse. We’ll be ready to come back tomorrow and play two.”

Warren Central staked Waddell, now 7-1 on the season, to an 8-0 lead. In between the Columbus miscues, which started on Travis Barnett’s opening at-bat, the Vikings got big hits from Brandon Gates and Bill McRight.

After Barnett reached on an error at short, Waddell singled and Gates doubled. Barnett scored but Waddell’s courtesy runner, C.J. Ross, was thrown out at the plate. Hunter Austin singled in Gates for a 2-0 lead.

A second error at short allowed Austin’s courtesy runner, Marcus Ragan, to score and put Chipper Leech on board for McRight. On the first pitch from Columbus’ Christian Dale, McRight blasted it to left for a two-run bomb and a 5-0 lead.

“That was shocking,” McRight said. “I’ve never hit one before. Not even in practice. I’m a put-the-ball-in-play guy.”

The Vikings were confident and it started with Abraham’s statement that his team is poised for a good playoff run.

“I just know these guys,” Abraham said. “This is their life. I know how hard they’ve worked and I just felt it would carry over to the playoffs.”

McRight agreed.

“It’s good to have confidence going in, because we’ve been a back and forth team,” McRight said. “We play great one game and nobody can beat us and then we turn around against Greenville and look like we never played before.”

The Vikings finished off Dale with three runs in the second. Austin had an RBI double and later scored on the Falcons third error of the game.

Columbus’ lone highlight came about after Waddell had been pulled and Chase Ladd entered in the top of the third inning. With two on after a pair of walks, Dale sent a grounder back to Ladd. He turned and threw to second to get the forceout, but the Viking fielders were late getting there and the ball scooted into center field. On the throw home, Austin tried to go back to second base to catch Dale, but overthrew the bag, allowing the second run to score. Dale got to circle the bases when the throw from center field slipped past third base. Three bad throws resulted in three runs and the Falcons were back in it.

That was until WC batted again. Three more errors, along with a RBI bunt hit from Trey Prentiss, a RBI single from Barnett, a balk on Columbus pitcher Chris McCullough and a passed ball chased home five runs to give WC a 13-3 lead.

Ladd pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth to end the game.

Austin went 2-for-3 and drove in two to lead the Vikings. McCullough had a double to pace Columbus.