KOSCIUSKO &045; The Natchez Dixie Boys 14-year-olds aren’t picking up where they left off.

They picked it up to another level.

The All-Stars started off the state tournament in Kosciusko with a 16-0 trouncing of Jackson Grove Park on Saturday. Three Natchez pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter in the five-inning contest and was a walk away from throwing a perfect game.

Throw in an offense that put up 16 runs on 17 hits, and it’s safe to say everything really did fall into place. Natchez plays at 7 p.m. today against the winner of Smithville and Cleveland.

&uot;We swung the bats well,&uot; Natchez head coach William Barnes said. &uot;It’s not the strongest pitching we’ll see in the tournament, and every team up here as won their district. I don’t like talking down about anybody, but they definitely weren’t strong. We came out, hit the ball and pitched well.&uot;

Natchez put up six runs in its top half of the first inning, and it set the tone for the game. It also gave the pitchers all the room they needed, and Luke Brumfield, Brian Sanderson and Patrick McDonough combined to strike out 13 batters.

Just two Grove Park batters put the ball in play.

Sanderson, pitching in his first game since a wrist injury, lost a batter in the fourth inning on a 3-2 count for the only Grove Park baserunner.

&uot;The first two batters of the game we went 3-0 on, but we got the leadoff man to pop up,&uot; Barnes said. &uot;Luke struck the second guy out. After that, we pretty much settled down and threw strikes. They threw the curveball for strikes and kept them off balance.&uot;

Natchez got the six runs in the first with Dustin Carroll providing the biggest charge with a two-run homer off Grove Park starter Daniel Munay. Braxton Fondren led off with a walk and scored on a Luke Brumfield double, and Matt Barnes singled him in.

Carroll then followed with his blast, and the next three batters walked before Fondren doubled in Jesse Morrison and Duncan Guedon for the 6-0 lead.