Thursday night’s opening game of the Class 5A state playoffs had more twists and turns than a Chubby Checker concert.

In the end, it was the Warren Central Vikings dancing off the diamond.

Pinch-runner Jonathan Ettinger scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the sixth inning and Eric Douglas struck out two of Hattiesburg’s most dangerous hitters in a 7-6 victory at Viking Field.

The best-of-three series shifts to Hattiesburg tonight at 6 p.m.

“It’s kind of games like this that you have to stay up the whole time,” said Douglas, who also had a single and scored a run. “When they hit the home run, we had to battle back and keep our heads up.”

After Warren Central scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-4 lead, Hattiesburg’s Reggie Lee hit a two-run home run over the centerfield fence to give the Tigers a short-lived 6-5 edge.

The Vikings added a run in the fifth and catcher Ben Koestler led off the sixth with a single. He advanced to third after Hattiesburg right fielder Josh Chatman overran the ball, the seventh Tiger error on the night.

Ettinger, pinch-running for the catcher Koestler, then scored on a passed ball to give WC (18-11) a 7-6 lead.

“This was the worst game we have played all year,” Hattiesburg (19-5) coach Larry Knight said. “We just didn’t play well and it’s very disappointing. We’re normally a good fielding team. Our pitchers did a good job, but when you make that many errors, it’s hard to overcome.”

Winning pitcher Drew Warnock started the seventh inning and gave up a leadoff double to pinch-hitter Josh Nailor. Jermaine Jackson then grounded hard to Douglas, who caught Nailor in a rundown for the first out.

With Jackson on second, Douglas struck out Kyle Moore looking, then had to face Lee.

“We decided we were going to throw around him and make him chase some stuff, but he was the go-ahead run so we weren’t going to intentionally walk him,” WC coach Randy Broome said.

Douglas got two quick strikes – one coming on a foul ball inches from falling fair behind first base that would have easily scored Jackson from second. Three straight balls followed before Douglas fanned Lee swinging on a curveball.

“I thought the ball was fair and I looked at the umpire and he called it foul,” Douglas said. “It took a big weight off my shoulders and I just tried to redeem myself and throw strikes.”

Hattiesburg sophomore Curtis Banks gave Hattiesburg a 3-1 lead after the second inning with a three-run home run to right field. The Tigers added another run in the fourth before WC touched Banks for four runs in the fourth.

Singles by Ryan Grey, Drew Warnock and Will Mendrop loaded the bases and Nick Carson drove in a run with a single. Koestler then flew out to centerfield and Ettinger, pinch-running for Warnock, barely slid under the tag of catcher Josh Wiley, which would have been the third out.

“The play at the plate, I thought we had the guy out,” Knight said. “That led to three runs afterward and that was huge. That’s a 4-2 game right there if we get that call.”

Zach Balthrop roped a two-RBI single after the controversial play to give WC a short-lived 5-4 lead.

Josh Gordon led WC’s offense with three singles, while Mendrop and Grey each had two hits.

Chip Phillips and Wiley each had two hits for the Tigers.

“We’re not going to slack up now,” Warnock said. “We are going to keep hitting the ball hard and win.”