Mt. Berry, Ga. - AnnaKate Estock had three goals and four assists as Berry jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, besting local rival Shorter 14-10 in women's lacrosse action at Valhalla Wednesday night.

"We had a lot of momentum to start the game out, and we were able to carry that on the entire game," said BC head coach Brittini Hall. "In the past, we've come out playing fast and hard, but then having a let down. We did a good job staying consistent the entire time, and our defense really helped to establish that consistency."

Alexa Medor scored the first two goals of the season for the Vikings to give the home side an early lead. After a Shorter goal, Molley Cross scored on a feed from Estock, with Estock following shortly after to make it 4-1 with four minutes left in the first quarter.

Shorter (0-2) scored before the quarter ended to make it 4-2, but the Vikings got two more goals from Estock early in the second quarter to go ahead by four for the first time, 6-2. After two Shorter tallies, Estock fed Molley Cross and Haley Larsen for goals, with Larsen scoring unassisted to make it 9-4 midway through the second quarter. The Hawks would score twice to make it 9-6 at halftime.

In the second half, the Vikings turned up the wick defensively, pressing Shorter the length of the field. "We knew they had less subs, and that the players they had were losing speed," Coach Hall said. "We tried to push the fast break more in the second half, and we pressured more in the second half."

Larson and Adrienna Van Soelen scored twice in the middle stages of the third quarter to make it 11-6. From there, Shorter would not get within four the rest of the way. Back-to-back goals from Van Soelen in the fourth quarter helped the Vikings earn a 14-8 lead, and while the Hawks scored twice late, it wouldn't be enough to overcome the Vikings in a 14-10 decision.

Estock, Larsen, Cross, and Van Soelen each had a hat trick for the Vikings, with Estock's four assists accounting for over half of the team's seven. "Annakate really scored well. She assisted well. She just kept her head up the whole game," Coach Hall said. "Sophie Morris and Mary Axelson really stepped up for us defensively as well."

Kristina Jones split time in the cage with Ally Washburn, earning the win with 30 minutes of action.

Makala McKinney made nine saves in the loss for Shorter. The Hawks received four goals from Maria Hansen in defeat.

The Vikings will be back in action Saturday for Senior Day against Piedmont. Opening draw is set for 2 p.m. at Valhalla.