Warren Central scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday night. Unfortunately, it needed three.

The Vikings chopped a three-run deficit to two in their final at-bat, but left the tying run on base as they lost 4-3 to Hillcrest, Ala., in the Mid-Mississippi Classic.

Hayes Loper started the seventh inning by being hit by a pitch, and a double by Trace Hood put two runners in scoring position. Loper scored on a passed ball and Blake Caruthers followed delivered a two-out RBI single to cut it to 4-3. Jacob Kealhofer flied out to left to end the threat and the game, however.

Caruthers finished 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Loper doubled and scored a run, and Hood reached base twice.
WC pitcher Nathaniel Moore went five innings and had five strikeouts.

Warren Central (1-1) will play two games in the Mid-Mississippi Classic on Saturday. It’ll face Faith Academy (Ala.) at 11 a.m. at Madison Central High School, and then head a few miles north to Gluckstadt to play Germantown at 5 p.m.

Mendenhall 7, Vicksburg 1
Montavis Hobbs hit a two-run triple and then scored on an error to key a four-run fourth inning that propelled Mendenhall past Vicksburg High (2-3).

The teams swapped runs in the third inning before Mendenhall blew it open in the fourth. Duke Collins hit an RBI single, and then Hobbs’ triple made it 5-1.

Hobbs finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Collins was 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored.
For Vicksburg, Allan Allen was 2-for-3 with two singles, one walk and two stolen bases. Mincer Minor singled and drove in a run with a ground out.

VHS pitcher Kaleb Doss had seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

The Gators will host Yazoo City Saturday at 1 p.m. at Showers Field.

Park Place 21, Porter’s Chapel 1
Easton Haley went 2-for-2 with a double, triple, four RBIs and three runs scored to lead Park Place Christian Academy (6-0) to its second win this week over Porter’s Chapel Academy (0-6).

Park Place won 12-0 when the teams played in Pearl on Feb. 17.

Park Place scored in all four innings. Peyton Bray reached base three times, scored three runs, and had six strikeouts in a complete-game pitching victory.

Chad Fuson had PCA’s only hit and scored the only run. He singled in the fourth inning, stole second and third, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Potter.

Porter’s Chapel will be back in action on Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. against Cathedral in Natchez.