The overcast sky threatened thunder all afternoon Thursday at the Natchez Girls Softball Complex, as the Cathedral Green Wave met the Richland Lady Rangers for a slow-pitch match-up.

However, the only thunder was at the plate in the fifth inning as a five-run rally helped lift Cathedral to a 9-2 win.

Richland led Cathedral 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, before Emily Stevens led off with a single. Laura Huffines and Amber Green then walked the bases loaded with no outs.

A Kate Reid single then drove in Stevens and Huffines, and a Mary Margaret Alwood single — with the help of great base running and sloppy Richmond throws — drove in Green to make the score 4-2 Cathedral.

Leighton McDaniel hit a sacrifice to send Reid home, and Krystal Groom drove in Alwood to bring the score to 6-2, a lead that Cathedral would never relinquish.

&uot;We’ve never been in this position,&uot; Cathedral coach Lynn Ogden said. &uot;We’ve always gotten out to an early lead and held on. I didn’t know how they’d react.&uot;

The Green Wave reacted by scoring five runs in the fifth and adding another three in the sixth.

&uot;They got the hits when we needed them,&uot; Ogden said. &uot;They got hits deep in the line-up, which was something I was glad to see.&uot;

Cathedral jumped out to a first inning lead when McDaniel drove in Reid on a double. The Lady Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth when Larame Lester and Brittany Myers each drove in a run.

Green pitched the entire game for Cathedral, earning her fifth win for the 5-0 Green Wave. The win improves Cathedral to 2-0 in district play.

Myers took the loss for Richland, which fell to 1-1 overall and in district play.

&uot;There are still some things we need to work on, but I was pleased with the rally,&uot; Ogden said. &uot;I’ve always told them that it takes more than one person to make a team.

&uot;When they had to, they re-grouped and did what they had to do,&uot; she said. &uot;Things turned out in our favor.&uot;