For the last seven days, Warren Central senior Krista Cortezie had been held out of both practice and games with the Lady Vikes softball team after suffering a concussion when her horse went down while herding cattle.

Tuesday on senior night, Cortezie made a big splash. She had three hits and drove in four runs as Warren Central beat archrival Vicksburg 9-5 at Lucy Young Field.

Cortezie was glad to be back in time to face the Missy Gators (8-7, 4-5 Region 2-6A).

“I got cleared to play yesterday (Monday),” Cortezie said. “It was exciting to be out here for my last home game and to play against Vicksburg.”

Cortezie said she remembers the accident that caused her to miss two games last week.

“I was crossing the pasture to go get the cows when my horse hit a hole,” Cortezie said. “He flipped and I flipped with him. Hit my head pretty hard. But I told Coach Mac (Dana McGivney) I’d be back as soon as they’d let me.”

Cortezie, who plays shortstop for WC (13-4, 6-3), made big plays right off the bat. She made a diving catch for the game’s first out and then stopped a Missy Gator rally in the same inning with a forceout at second base.

In the bottom half of the first, she hit a double down the left-field line to score Brooke Patterson and Alexis Patterson and give Warren Central a 3-2 lead.

Vicksburg coach Michelle Fisackerly felt the ball was foul.

“I know she’s a good hitter, but that was a foul ball,” Fisackerly said of Cortezie’s double.

Vicksburg came back to tie the game at 3 in the top of third, when Victoria Lewis singled and scored on a hit to right by Blake DeRossette.

Warren Central answered with four runs in the bottom half of the third and Cortezie was again a part of it. Alexis Patterson had a hit to right to score Lexi Burleigh to break the tie. Lawren Boolos reached on an infield error and after a flyout, Cortezie smacked a single into left to score two more for a 6-3 lead. Katie Channel followed with a hit to plate Cortezie.

The Missy Gators got a run back in the fifth when Brooke McGrew singled and scored after WC’s second error of the inning.

The Lady Vikes got it back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Cortezie’s third hit moved Raylee Barwick to third to set up Channel’s second RBI hit for an 8-4 lead. Cortezie was later forced out at third, but Megan Marbury came up with a two-out double to finish WC’s scoring. Vicksburg got its final run in the seventh, when McGrew doubled and scored off a single by Kortni Newman.

Vicksburg outhit Warren Central 11-10 and that brought a smile from Fisackerly.

“My team played hard and stayed in there with them,” Fisackerly said. “I have no complaints.”

Paige Bowser, DeRossette, and McGrew had two hits apiece to lead Vicksburg. Tabitha Hayden scored two runs.

Alexis Patterson had two hits, two runs and drove in two. Channel had two hits and two RBIs while Burleigh scored two runs.