BRANDON — In breaking down Warren Central’s season so far, there are only a handful of plays separating it from a perfect record.

It added two or three to the number Friday afternoon.

Brandon scored twice on bang-bang plays at home plate, and the Vikings came up short a couple of times in key situations. That was the difference in a tight ballgame as Brandon came out on top 2-0.

Warren Central dropped its record to 10-4 on the season, with the four losses coming by a total of six runs — and against teams with a combined record of 43-9.

The Vikings were shut out for the first time in exactly two years.

It had been 62 games since they lost 7-0 to Clinton on March 25, 2014.

“It’s a positive that you’re one or two swings away, or one or two plays away from being undefeated. That’s what’s going to happen in good games between championship-type teams,” Warren Central coach Conner Douglas said. “We’ve got to find a way to get them. Some games we’ve got them, and some games we haven’t. We’ve put ourselves in that situation and that’s all you can ask of them.”

Brandon scored single runs in the second and sixth innings, both times by somehow sliding under tags at the plate.

In the second inning, Matt McCarley rumbled home from second base on a two-out single by Brian Joyner. Third baseman Logan Stewart made a good relay throw, but McCarley was called safe.

“I thought he was out because I had it blocked, but I guess the umpire saw it a different way,” Warren Central catcher Tyler McRight said.

The second close play was a bit more controversial. With one out in the sixth inning, Jack Bishop singled to center field. In a near replay of the first play at the plate, Brandon’s J.T. Ginn tried to score from second and arrived at the plate at the same time as the ball.

McRight had the plate blocked and appeared to apply the tag, but Ginn was called safe to give Brandon a 2-0 lead. Douglas came out to vehemently argue the call, but to no avail.

“The second one, I think it was for sure (he was out) because I never saw him touch the plate,” McRight said. “I got off of him, and his foot was this far from the plate.”

Warren Central was retired in order in the seventh inning to end the game, but had several chances before that to tie it or take the lead.

It left runners in scoring position three times and had another runner picked off first base.

In the fifth inning, the Vikings had runners at second and third with one out following a double by Josh Lieberman, yet came away empty.

In total, WC struck out 11 times against Brandon pitchers Tyler Barnett and Ginn. Ginn had six strikeouts over the last 2 2/3 innings. He came on in relief after Lieberman’s double and retired eight of the nine batters he faced.

“I think we just got away from our approach a little bit. And the guys from Brandon, tip your hat to them. They made pitches. The last guy they threw was pretty good,” Douglas said. “Sometimes it just don’t go your way. You’re not always going to get that hit.”

The lack of offensive punch spoiled an outstanding performance by Warren Central sophomore pitcher Aaron Greene. The hard-throwing right-hander allowed one run in five innings. He walked two batters, struck out three and gave up four hits.

“He was unbelievable,” McRight said of Greene. “He was throwing probably 89, 90 the whole time. He was slinging it.”