VICKSBURG &045; Those Natchez High Lady Bulldogs are still taking small steps at a time.

And trailing Vicksburg 4-2 late in the game was indeed a positive step. But the Missy Gators, the more experienced team, wound up 10-2 winners over the Lady Bulldogs in their second season of fast-pitch softball.

Natchez finished the game with eight errors.

&uot;Our bunt defense wasn’t working tonight,&uot; Natchez head coach Leigh Anne Mason said. &uot;They broke it open in the fifth with their bunts. That put them over the top. But I’m proud of them. Coming into our first year in district, we handled them to the fifth inning.&uot;

The Missy Gators got four in the fifth and two in the sixth off NHS pitcher Honda Griffin, the lone pitcher on the team this spring. The Missy Gators laid down three bunts in that inning and were able to capitalize on a couple Natchez errors.

The Lady Bulldogs (2-5, 0-2) got on the board with two runs in their first at-bat to take the quick lead. Mable Green led off with a triple and scored on a Sarah Weaver groundout to second.

Cayce Champlin reached first on an error, stole second and scored on a Krystal Arnold double.

Monterey 3, Crowville 2

MONTEREY &045; The Lady Wolves had the pitching and the hitting, but this time the defense stayed steady.

Whitney Price was able to get in a groove and really work on the mound for the Lady Wolves as they committed just one error.

&uot;They did a good job defensively,&uot; Monterey head coach Hazel Brallier said. &uot;They only committed one error, and we had been committing more. The defense was

a lot better.&uot;

Monterey (10-7-2) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first off Crowville starter Mary Kate Killingsworth to take the lead. The Lady Hornets had the errors in the first inning as Cassi Kennedy and Heather Robertson each scored on errors.