Hayley Martin of Warren Central reaches out to tag Madison Central’s Mollie Buchanan as she scrambles back to second base on Tuesday. Buchanan was safe on the play. The Lady Jaguars won, 7-0, to knock WC out of playoff contention. (The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[04/04/01] Lucy Young’s fears became reality Tuesday as her second-year Warren Central team battled Madison with a possible playoff berth on the line.

The Lady Vikes (8-5, 1-4 Division 3-5A), who lost their first meeting with the Lady Jags 1-0, managed just four hits and committed four costly errors in a 7-0 loss.

The defeat eliminated WC from the playoff race, relegating Wednesday’s division matchup with Vicksburg to a battle for pride.

“I was mostly disappointed in our defensive play and the errors that we made to allow them to build their momentum,” WC coach Lucy Young said. “When you open the door to a team like that, they just step in … .”

Senior hurler Tanelda McDonald, considered one of the state’s top pitchers, allowed just one WC player to reach second base and struck out 10.

McDonald retired 13 of the final 16 batters she faced.

Madison (11-4, 2-1) belted eight hits against eighth-grade pitcher Lauren Anderson. In each inning except the sixth, the Lady Jags scored. There was at least one WC error in each inning.

“I was proud of the girls and the way we came out and hit the ball today,” Madison coach Murphy Wilson said. “Warren Central has a really good team and I dread playing them next year … .”

Madison held a 1-0 lead after the second, then had three singles and took advantage of a throwing error in the third for a 3-0 lead.

An RBI single by Rachel Iupe, an error and a fielder’s choice that scored a run broke the game open in the fifth as MC went up 6-0..

Katie Barnett, Marilyn Landers, Hayley Martin and Cookie Johnson had a hit apiece for WC.

WC threatened just once, in the bottom of the sixth, with runners on first and second and two outs, but McDonald got a strikeout.

“Fast-pitch usually comes down to pitching and she does a good job,” Wilson said of his senior.

The WC-Vicksburg showdown, which was rained out the first time, is scheduled for 5:30 today at Halls Ferry Park.

With a team built around sophomores and freshmen in a second-year program, Young is excited about the future.

“I never expected, in the second year of the program, even being close to having a chance at the playoffs,” Young said. “… We’ll continue to get better at fast-pitch and I think we have made great improvements over last year.”