Price throws 1-hitter as Gators rebound from Thursday defeat.

Beaten, embarrassed and humiliated less than 24 hours earlier, the Vicksburg Gators rediscovered their killer instinct in time to stay alive in the Division 3-5A championship race.

Stanton Price hit a three-run homer to key a five-run first inning, and his brother Steven fired a one-hitter against Warren Central, leading the Gators to a 6-2 victory Friday night at Bazinsky Field.

The win gave VHS a split in the two-game series, after WC had taken an 8-2 decision on Thursday.

&#8220That’s the team we’ve been missing for five games. We played hard and aggressive, and it’s probably the most complete game we’ve played in the last couple,” said VHS coach Jamie Creel, whose team had lost four of its last five after a 9-0 start.

Warren Central (11-5, 5-1) could have clinched the division title with a win Friday. Now, the picture has been jumbled considerably and things won’t be decided until the final round of division games over the next two weeks.

WC can still win the division by beating Vicksburg and either Madison Central or Greenville. The Gators (11-4, 4-2) must keep pace with WC until their next meeting on April 4, then win that game.

&#8220It’s setting up to be a dandy. We’ve still got some work to take care of, and obviously they do too,” WC coach Randy Broome said.

Vicksburg had struggled with its defense and its ability to capitalize on early opportunities in recent games. Neither was a problem on Friday.

After Steven Price retired the Vikings in order in the top of the first, his brother helped give him a comfortable cushion in the bottom of the inning.

The Gators’ first two batters reached and Vernon Wolfe singled in a run to make it 1-0. After Eric Coleman scored on a wild pitch, Price took WC starter Nick Carson (2-1) out of the yard to right-center for a three-run homer and a 5-0 lead.

&#8220It’s always nice to jump out like that. We could have tacked on a couple more, but Nick did a good job and settled down,” Steven Price said.

Steven Price helped his own cause with an RBI groundout in the second inning, stretching the lead to 6-0 before Carson settled down. The WC hurler didn’t allow a runner past second base the rest of the game and retired 13 of the last 16 batters he faced.

&#8220Nick didn’t have his stuff tonight, but he hung in there for us and gave us six innings,” Broome said.

Price, however, didn’t waver enough for the Vikings to get back in the game. He retired the first 11 batters he faced before allowing a two-out walk to Eric Douglas in the fourth inning. That led to WC’s only runs, when Josh Gordon reached on an error and Ben Koestler brought both of them in with a double to cut it to 6-2.

Price walked Kyle Calhoun before getting Harry Ferguson to fly out to end the inning, and didn’t allow a baserunner the rest of the game. He struck out five in the game, and except for his brief stumble in the fourth never gave the Vikings a glimmer of hope.

&#8220Steven pitched great. I thought the game tonight was reciprocal of the game last night. Their kid did a great job on us last night and Steven did a great job on them tonight,” Creel said. &#8220You had two warriors out there, and you put the ball in the hands of the guy you think is going to give everything he’s got, and he pitched superbly.”