NATCHEZ &045; When you can bring the gas like Dustin Carroll can, there’s one solid indication of how well the heater was working.

In this case all Carroll had to do was point out the glove hand of his catcher, Jesse Morrison.

&uot;It’s swollen,&uot; Carroll noted.

Point well taken.

The big right-hander who has varsity coaches at Adams Christian stirring in their seats was dominant in just four innings of work as the Natchez 14-year-old All-Stars took a 12-2 win over Brookhaven in six innings to claim the District 4 tournament championship at Covington Road Park.

It was Carroll’s first appearance on the mound in the four games the All-Stars have played, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. He fanned nine in those four innings while walking just two and allowing two hits with a steady dose of fastballs and enough breaking pitches to keep them guessing.

&uot;I was throwing the fastball, and they couldn’t catch it,&uot; Carroll said. &uot;It just kept them off balance the whole time. The fastball was working today. (The offspeed pitch) was a forkball. I love the forkball because the bottom falls out of it. This was my first year to throw it. My dad taught it to me.&uot;

It might not have been planned that way for Carroll to take the mound with the All-Stars needed just one win to advance to the state tournament, but it sure was nice. Parker Brumfield came in for the last two innings and gave up just one hit to close the door.

Natchez had just eight hits but took advantage of a number of walks and hit batsmen on Brookhaven’s behalf to jump out to a quick 5-0 lead and take control.

Natchez, state champs a year ago at 13-year-olds, advances to the state tournament starting Friday in Kosciusko.

&uot;Every year (Carroll) has stepped up in all-star play,&uot; Natchez head coach William Barnes said. &uot;I hated to pull him, but I had to get some other guys work on the mound. I know he can dominate with his fastball, but he has to learn the older he gets the more he’ll have to throw offspeed pitches. Even though he can throw it by these kids, he has to have his offspeed stuff.&uot;

It was enough to give Brookhaven fits in more ways than one. The team struck out 12 times for the game and managed just three hits.

Two players were ejected as was the coach, and the team put just eight players on the field after one player got ejected in the sixth.

&uot;Nuts and bolts, we got screwed,&uot; Brookhaven head coach Perry Brown said.

But the first inning set the tone for the contest as the Natchez All-Stars scored five runs despite nearly putting up a donut on the scoreboard. With two outs Natchez loaded the bases and got its first run home when starter Trent Rutland was called for a balk to score Luke Brumfield.

Ja-Mes Logan then laid down a sick bunt down the third-base line that scored Carroll, and Joseph McDonough’s single up the middle scored Morrison and Logan for a 4-0 lead.

Blaine Abernathy walked to load the bases, and Braxton Fondren walked to score Robert Wilson.

&uot;It just took their steam out,&uot; said Morrison, who tripled home a run in the third. &uot;We beat them 4-2 last time, and we scored all four in the first inning. They were like, ‘Darn it.’ We hit it fairly well. It was mainly baserunning. They walked a lot of batters.&uot;

Four Brookhaven pitchers combined to hit six batters &045; four of which eventually scored &045; and walked six batters. Natchez had just eight hits but got them in the best opportunities imaginable.

Matt Barnes singled in a run in a four-run third inning before Morrison’s shot to the fence scored Barnes. Fondren singled home Duncan Guedon &045; who was hit by a pitch &045; for the final run of the game.

&uot;The whole tournament we’ve played really well on defense and have thrown strikes,&uot; William Barnes said. &uot;Very, very few errors. Somebody different got key hits here and there. When we played district last year, Brookhaven and Summit weren’t that strong. But they both picked up players from select teams and were a lot better.

&uot;I didn’t want the kids to think this would be a walk in the park. We faced two No. 1s. Being state champs, we expect to see more of that. Last year I don’t think we sneaked up on anybody, but a few may have taken us lightly.&uot;

In the fourth, Brookhaven got a run off Parker Brumfield and started to claw its way back into the game. With two outs speedy Marcus Smith doubled into the corner in left and tried to stretch it to third, but Logan threw a rocket to Matt Barnes at third to get him by at least a step for the final out of the inning.

&uot;His throw from center field speaks for itself,&uot; William Barnes said. &uot;It was great. You don’t see that in 14-year-old baseball.&uot;