[07/15/02]After falling in the first game of the junior Amateur Athletic Union state tournament, the Warren Central Vikings rebounded for an improbable championship.

Warren Central beat Brandon in back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday to end the season with the title.

“I think we jelled as a team,” Warren Central coach Randy Broome said. “We took advantage of some mistakes and had good pitching. I was excited to see that.”

The Vikings, after losing 5-2 to Jackson Academy on Tuesday, won six games in a row, culminating in a 13-3 win over Brandon on Sunday.

“Going into the tournament, we felt like we had a good shot at winning this thing,” Broome said. “I think the JA game was kind of a wakeup call.”

Drew Warnock pitched seven strong innings and allowed seven hits with three strikeouts. Otis Stamps had a double and scored a pair of runs and Mark Different had three hits in the championship game.

Broome played the role as assistant coach, while ex-WC catcher Kevin Coker was the head coach.

“He kept the guys up and in the game,” Broome said, adding with a chuckle, “we’ll sign him.”

Having to come out of the loser’s bracket, Warren Central beat Jackson Prep, 5-4, on Wednesday thanks to four runs in the final two innings.

Ryan Grey’s game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh lifted the Vikings.

Warren Central then battered Jackson Academy, 10-1, on Wednesday with a nine-run sixth inning.

Vaughn Mims pitched WC past Clinton on Thursday, advancing the Vikings into the championship game of the loser’s bracket.

A complete game by Zach Balthrop and John Rice Pettway’s two singles gave the Vikings a 7-0 win over Northwest Rankin to set up a showdown with undefeated Brandon.

Warren Central scored two in the fifth and added three in the sixth, then Mark Different struck out the side against the Bulldogs on Saturday, setting up a one-game showdown for the title.

In the finale, Warren Central held a 5-0 lead after the second inning, then put the game away in the fifth inning with six runs.

The tournament championship ended Warren Central’s season, but the seniors will start tournament play on Tuesday against either Madison of Clinton.