By DAN BISER

RALEIGH - After falling to the Chatham Central Bears 9-8 in the rain-delayed first game of the state 1A high-school baseball championship series at N.C. State University’s Doak Field, the West Columbus Vikings battled back with a vengeance in Saturday’s Game 2 to grab a 9-2 victory.

The Vikings were led by the gutty pitching of senior John David White and an opportunistic offense paced by senior centerfielder Devon Brown and senior catcher Zack Andrews.

The Viking victory snapped an 18-game Chatham Central winning streak and evened the best-of-three series at one game each.

“We had our chances to come away with the first game but we made a few mistakes and things just didn’t seem to fall our way,” said WCHS coach Ricky Young. “We were a lot more prepared for this one. We made things happen early and controlled the tempo.”

Devon Brown had his second straight big game of the series by hitting a double and single, drawing two walks, stealing three bases and scoring three times. Ryan McCleney also scored three runs as he also reached base four times – twice getting walked and twice getting hit by pitches.

Andrews delivered the game’s early blow with a three-run double in first inning and capped off the Viking scoring with a solo home run in the sixth inning.

White, who put his season pitching record at 10-0, struck out seven batters and yielded six hits. He battled streaks of wildness as he gave up six walks. He was relieved by Stephen Nealey with two outs in the seventh inning and Nealey got Jonathan Sessoms to ground out to third on a force play of the final out.

“John David’s pitch-count was up and he was tiring,” Young said. ”But he pitched a heck of a game. He’s a battler. He’s a real strong kid and he’ll keep coming after you, even when his control isn’t always where it needs to be.”

Chatham Central took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Vikings wasted little time taking control in the bottom of the inning as Devon Brown led off with a double off Bear starter Seth Kivett and McCleney drew a walk. White followed with a single and that was followed by Andrews’ base-clearing double. Daniel Britt single White to third, and White scored on a sacrifice fly by Brett Godwin for a 4-1 lead.

Brown and McCleney each scored again for the Vikings in the second inning, and they both scored in the sixth on a two-run single by Britt.

Andrews’ sixth-inning home run was just inside the foul pole in leftfield.

Chatham Central got the game’s final run on a bases loaded walk to Aubrey Johnson with two outs in the seventh inning.

Kivett was the losing pitcher for Chatham Central. Spencer Andrews and Matthew Brown pitched in relief.

Kivett, Andrews (5), Brown (6) and Johnson; White, Nealey (7) and Andrews.