FLOWOOD — Warren Central’s latest encounter with Northwest Rankin was just as frustrating as the last.

The Vikings let a six-run lead slip away and lost 9-8 to the Cougars on Saturday in an early-season rematch from last year’s Class 6A baseball playoffs. Northwest Rankin won that series in three games, the last of which also included a big comeback.

The stakes in this one, on the second day of the 2017 season, weren’t nearly as high but it was still a solid chapter in the teams’ rivalry. It was the fourth one-run game in their last six meetings.

Warren Central jumped out to big lead by scoring seven runs in the top of the second inning.

D.J. Lewis, Caleb Sterling, Sean Daily and Vantrel Reed all had RBI singles during the rally, and the Vikings did morr damage by being opportunistic. They scored runs on a dropped third strike and a wild pitch. Landon Stewart drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning to put the Vikings ahead 8-2.

And then their offense stalled while Northwest Rankin regrouped.

Warren Central only had one hit in the last four innings. Northwest Rankin made up a lot of ground in a hurry when Kace Garner hit a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning, and Garner hit a two-run double in the fifth to tie it at 8.

An error, a walk and an RBI single by Nik Hogan in the sixth gave the Cougars a 9-8 lead, and pitcher Kyle Nalley closed the door by retiring the side in order in the seventh.

Nalley allowed one hit, no runs or walks, and struck out four in 4 2/3 innings for Northwest Rankin.

Garner went 3-for-3 with a home run, double and six RBIs, while Hogan was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Reed only had one hit for Warren Central, but drove in two runs and scored one.

St. Andrew’s 12, Vicksburg 2

Chris Boyle went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, and St. Andrew’s used a nine-run second inning to run past Vicksburg in the Gators’ season opener on Saturday.

St. Andrew’s big inning started with five straight walks — on 21 pitches. Boyle had an RBI single later on, as did Dickson Ray, and two errors also spurred things along.

Chris Farrish went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Vicksburg, and Kameron Jones doubled and scored a run.

Tallulah Academy 13, Union Christian 6

Marsh Wood went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Joshua Collins, Ethan Beene and Logan Tullos all drove in two runs apiece as Tallulah Academy beat Union Christian in the first half of a split doubleheader Saturday.

Tallulah (2-2) hit six doubles in the game, by six different players.

In the second half of their doubleheader, the Trojans beat Christian Home School 12-1. They scored in each of the first four innings, including five runs in the second.

Brice Wood tripled and drove in three runs for Tallulah. He was also the starting pitcher and struck out seven in three innings of work.

Hudson Morris was 2-for-4 with an RBI and four runs scored, and Collins had two hits and scored twice. Tullos also had two hits and two RBIs.