Every time Warren Central mounted a comeback, Madison Central answered or snuffed it out.

The Lady Jags scored twice in the top of the sixth inning to take the lead for good, then held off a rally in the bottom half and hung on to beat Warren Central 4-3 Monday in the softball regular-season opener for both teams.

Warren Central had tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the fifth when Anzley Keen drove in one run with a ground out and Emily Muirhead another with a single.

Madison Central used a hit batter, an error on a bunt, and a sacrifice fly to regain a 4-2 lead in the top of the sixth, however. Madison Pant hit an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to pull the Lady Vikes back to within a run, but they could not get any more and were retired in order in the seventh to end the game.

Pant and Keke McKay had two hits each for the Lady Vikes. Pant also pitched seven innings and had four strikeouts.

For Madison Central, Elizabeth Pullen and Emma Fletcher Perry both went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Ella Tierce pitched five innings of relief and had seven strikeouts.

Warren Central will play two more home games this week — Thursday against Wesson and Friday vs. Brandon — before taking on Wesson and West Lincoln in the Pearl tournament on Saturday. The home games begin at 6:15 p.m., and the tournament games at 1 and 2:45 p.m.