Warren Central did a much better job of looking like a championship contender Friday night, than it did the day before.

Hunter Bell snapped a tie with a two-run single in the sixth inning, the Vikings added three insurance runs in the seventh, and they went on to beat Grenada 7-2 in Game 2 of their Class 6A play-in round series Friday.

The deciding Game 3 of the best-of-three series is today at 4 p.m. at Viking Field.

“Championship teams find ways to win, especially late in ballgames,” WC coach Conner Douglas said. “We had a full team effort tonight. The bottom of the order, (Mason) Jarabica and (Chipper) Leech got us going a couple of times, and the top did what they were supposed to do by driving them in. Again, a complete team effort, especially with the bench mob doing their thing.”

Cameron Upton went 3-for-4 with two RBIs — both on a single in the seventh inning — and Warren Central (22-7) rode a strong pitching performance by Carlisle Koestler to the win.

Koestler needed just 83 pitches to throw a complete game. He allowed two runs on three hits, hit one batter and struck out two. He didn’t allow a walk.

“He threw three pitches for strikes and did a great job fielding his position. He located down in the zone all night,” Douglas said.

Grenada (15-8) stunned WC by winning Game 1 at Viking Field, and was eyeing an even more surprising sweep as Game 2 rolled on.

Shelby Craddock struck out six batters as he matched Koestler through five innings. Each team scored twice in the second to leave it tied 2-2 heading into the fifth.

That was when Warren Central broke it open. Bell’s two-run single to center put the Vikings ahead for good, and Upton’s two-run single during the three-run rally in the seventh iced it.