When the Lady Bulldogs went down 10-0, things looked grim. The Natchez High softball team had played poor defense, made baserunning errors and showed an alarming lack of discipline at the plate.

Then things changed. As though a collective switch had been thrown, the Lady Bulldogs became a different team in the bottom of the third inning, scoring eight runs and beginning to play markedly improved defense.

&uot;Even when we were 10 down, I kept pushing for them to do what they can,&uot; Natchez head coach Charlie Williams said. &uot;I told them we have to start hitting a little earlier in games. (The third inning) was when I told them we had to get started.&uot;

In the last four innings, Natchez outscored the Lady Gators 10-5, hitting the ball with ferocity and exploiting Vicksburg pitcher Ebony Martin’s inability to get the ball over the plate. Natchez had 10 walks in the game.

In that crucial third inning, the Lady Bulldogs sent 12 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on seven hits, including a home run and double from leadoff hitter Sarah Weaver.

Pitcher Whitney Brown, filling in for Casey Champlin who could not play because of an illness, led off the inning with a base hit. Weaver’s home run drove Brown and herself home, putting the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. Chelsea Hall followed with a walk, and consecutive hits by Vearlene Thompson, Tracy Davis and Porshe Singleton followed. Wennifer Noble reached base on an error.

Brittney Barnes hit a double and then

Bianca Robinson reached base on another

Lady Gators error. Then Candace Frey hit into a fielder’s choice, the first out of the inning for the Lady Bulldogs. When all was said and done, Natchez had climbed back into the game and trailed by just two runs.

The Lady Gators scored three runs in the fourth and fifth before the Natchez offense got rolling again in the fifth inning, as the Lady Bulldogs sent the entire lineup up to bat. Porshe Singleton led off and went on to score one of her three runs. Robinson, Frey and Weaver all walked in the inning and went on to score.

Vicksburg looked to have an easy victory after scoring 10 runs in the first three innings. But poor defense in the third and fifth innings allowed 15 Natchez runs, and the Vicksburg bats couldn’t keep up.

Vicksburg head coach Cori Crutchfield refused comment after the game.

Williams said he was happy his girls didn’t give up and fought to get back in the game and win.

&uot;I’m proud of the girls. They stayed in there and fought and fought,&uot; Williams said.

The win may provide Natchez with a ton of confidence heading into the

playoffs next week.

&uot;I’m so excited. Since we made the playoffs in my 10th and 11th-grade years, I’m just so excited that in my senior year we get to go to the playoffs,&uot; Weaver said.

Natchez honored six seniors playing in their last home game Thursday before the game in a brief ceremony.

But those seniors ensured themselves of at least one more game this year. Natchez will travel to Meridian Thursday for a first-round playoff game.

&uot;We’re going up there to win,&uot; Williams said. &uot;Meridian’s got a great team, but we can play with them. We just have to play good defense and start hitting early.&uot;