The Forest Hill Lady Rebels pounded out 13 hits and got solid pitching from Ashley Perry for a 9-4 win over the Natchez High Lady Bulldogs in a key Division 6-5A game Tuesday at the Natchez Girls Softball Complex.

With the win, Forest Hill (7-5, 4-0) took a half-game lead over Natchez (9-5, 4-1) in district play.

Perry scattered four runs and eight hits while walking two in seven innings for the win.

&uot;Ashley did an exceptional job pitching,&uot; said Forest Hill head coach Jammy Hemphill. &uot;We also did some fielding in key plays.&uot;

However, the game was anything but flawless as Forest Hill and Natchez combined for 16 errors – eight by each team.

&uot;I think we played too tight and too tense,&uot; said Natchez High head coach Sue Johnson. &uot;We’ve got to be more relaxed and stay focused, which we didn’t do tonight. But we’ve got ’em Thursday.&uot;

Natchez will look to regain the lead in district when it plays at Forest Hill in Jackson at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the last district game of the season for the Lady Bulldogs.

&uot;I think we played exceptional ball except for a couple of errors,&uot; Hemphill said.

Three of Forest Hill’s runs came on errors, one in the third inning and two in the seventh.

After both teams were held scoreless in the first two innings, the Lady Rebels broke through in the top of the third as Misty Musgrove doubled, moved to third on an error and scored on another error.

Chelsea Hall scored for Natchez when she beat out a throw to home in the bottom of the third to tie the score at one.

Natchez took its only lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth on Crystal Brown’s RBI groundout that scored Deanna Butts.

Forest Hill regained the lead at 3-2 in the top of the fifth on RBI singles by Jessica Harrison and Lindsay Humphreys.

Natchez tied the score at three in the bottom of the fifth on Althea Woodley’s RBI single.

Forest Hill took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the sixth on April White’s RBI double and Victoria Washington’s RBI groundout.

Natchez scored one run in the bottom of the sixth on an error, but that would be the last run for the Lady Bulldogs in the game.

Forest Hill broke the game open with four runs in the top of the seventh.

Dalisa Lewis took the loss for Natchez, giving up nine runs and 13 hits while walking two and striking out two in seven innings.

&uot;I believe (we) could’ve beat them and they should’ve beat them,&uot; Johnson said. &uot;But we’ll be all right. We’re gonna make it.&uot;