Carlisle Koestler was a few pitches away from perfection Tuesday night.
Warren Central’s hard-throwing right-hander lost his bid for a perfect game when he issued a walk in the fifth inning, but settled for a mercy-rule shortened no-hitter as the Vikings routed Murrah 13-0.
Koestler struck out eight in the game, which was shortened to five innings by the 10-run rule. He also played a starring role at the plate, going 2-for-3 with four RBIs.
Koestler has allowed one earned run in 18 innings this season. He lowered his ERA to 0.39.
“He had his stuff tonight,” WC coach Conner Douglas said. “Looked really sharp. His fastball was down in the zone, he stayed ahead of batters and his breaking ball had a lot of bite.”
Brooks Boolos was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored for Warren Central (8-2, 1-0 Division 4-6A), which led 6-0 after two innings and put the game on ice with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Warren Central had 13 hits, all of them singles. Eight players drove in at least one run.
Murrah (1-8, 0-1) has given up at least 12 runs in every game this season.

VHS 6, Pearl 5
Josh Sterling put Vicksburg (3-6, 1-0 Division 4-5A) ahead for good with a three-run double in the fourth inning, but the Gators had to survive a pair of last-gasp rallies by Pearl (6-4, 0-1) to snap a three-game losing streak and win their division opener.
Pearl left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning, then got its first two runners on in the seventh. River Weghorst hustled home on a wild pitch on ball four, sliding in just ahead of the tag by pitcher Michael Rohrer, to cut Vicksburg’s lead to 6-5. The Pirates, though, self-destructed after that.
Rohrer got a strikeout, then Andrew Ryals missed a suicide squeeze bunt attempt, allowing Sterling to easily tag Zach Prince for the second out. Rohrer then struck out Ryals looking for the final out.
“I actually wasn’t too nervous. I had confidence we were going to get out of it. My seniors had a refuse to lose attitude tonight,” Vicksburg coach Ryan Grey said. “But I do think I gained a bunch of gray hair.”
Rohrer walked two batters after relieving Will Martin in the seventh, one of them intentionally, and earned a save. Jekori Reed pitched 5 2/3 innings for the win. Reed allowed four runs, three earned, walked two batters and struck out seven.
Pearl committed five errors in the game that led to three unearned runs. Weghorst led the Pirates at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored. Prince also had three of the Pirates’ seven hits.

St. Aloysius 5,
Central Private 1
Derek Dolan went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI, Pat Murphy pitched a complete game, and St. Aloysius (4-5) won back-to-back games for the first time this season by beating Central Private (9-7).
Dolan drove in St. Al’s first run with an RBI single in the first inning, then gained some separation by scoring three times in the fourth. Jacob Breeden delivered an RBI double, and Matthew Foley drove in two more with another double to put the Flashes ahead 4-1.
Murphy helped his own cause by driving in the final run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
Murphy allowed one run on five hits. He walked two batters and struck out four.
St. Al and Central Private will play again Friday night in Baker, La.