NATCHEZ &045; For a team that’s searching for an identity, Cathedral’s Green Wave found a nice groove at the plate Tuesday.

The infield and much of the whole team is new from last season’s state championship squad, and everyone is waiting to see how things shake out with everyone at new positions. But if hitting is contagious and Jeremy Davis continues to slug homers, things may jell rather quickly.

The Green Wave took a 14-2 win over Monterey in six innings for its first feel-good night at the plate on the young season heading into its Cellular South tournament starting Thursday.

&uot;A big improvement from the last one we played,&uot; said senior outfielder Andrew Ellard, who tripled and scored five runs. &uot;We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but we looked better than the first two games for sure. It’s going to take a little while to get adjusted. We’ll have to see it and experience it to get there. Hopefully we’ll be there when we get to district play and those tough teams.&uot;

The Green Wave finished with nine hits and had a number of other hard-hit balls that Monterey made errors on or solid plays on defense. It was a welcome sight after the weekend when the team struggled at the plate at times against Natchez High and Wilkinson County in the NHS Classic.

But Tuesday the Green Wave came out swinging as Davis put a rocket over the left-center field fence to start the game.

&uot;Tonight we had a good night at the plate, but this past weekend we struggled a little bit,&uot; CHS head coach Craig Beesley said. &uot;We’ve been inside so much with the rain. We haven’t had much chance to get on the field here and hit live pitching. Hitting is contagious. Once a guy starts hitting, everything falls into place.&uot;

Davis’ shot early was part of a three-run first inning for the Wave, who followed with two runs in the second to take the early lead. Errors plagued Monterey in the middle innings and kept Cathedral at the plate as the Wave put up two in the fourth, four in the fifth and three in the sixth.

Preston Hicks’ bases-loaded double off the fence in dead center ended the game.

&uot;We just had a bad game,&uot; Monterey head coach Hank Zizzi said. &uot;But they did a good job today. They put the bat on the ball, and they hit it hard. We hit a couple of pretty good shots, too. Matt threw pretty good. Just too many mental and physical errors.&uot;

The Green Wave broke it open in the fourth as Ellard led off with a triple to right on the first pitch he saw from reliever Max Green. Davis reached on an error, and Charlie Lane drove them both in with a single for a 7-1 lead.

The run-scoring hit from Lane got the offense back going after the Green Wave left the bases loaded in the second off starter Matt Shively, who went three and struck out four.

&uot;Usually, you wait on somebody to get it started,&uot; Ellard said. &uot;I got on base, Preston got a good hit and Jeremy took that one out of here. Everybody started hitting after that. Jeremy got it good right there in the (left center field) corner. I hope to see a lot more from him.&uot;

Monterey had three errors in the fourth and had three more in the fifth. Jesse Morrison and Ellard scored on an error on a ball hit by Davis with the bases loaded, and Lane singled in Hicks for a 10-2 lead.

Davis scored on a sacrifice fly from Chris Rasco before Green got a groundout to end the inning.

&uot;I think Jeremy’s home run kind of set the tone for us more than anything,&uot; Beesley said. &uot;We looked a little more aggressive and relaxed at the plate. I’ve got to give it to Monterey. Those are probably the best two pitchers since Joey Paul came through there in the mid-1990s. I was real impressed with Shively. They’ve got a good 1-2 punch, and you’ll probably hear from them later in the year in the playoffs.&uot;

The Wolves got a run in the fourth and fifth innings off Cathedral reliever Lane, who threw two innings after Rasco started and went three. In the fourth Jordan Tiffee singled in Shively, and Landon White walked with the bases loaded in the fifth to score Green.

But the Wolves left the bases loaded both innings as Lane struck out two to get out of the fourth and got another strikeout in the fifth to end that threat.

&uot;We didn’t get a hit when we needed it,&uot; Zizzi said. &uot;Of course, they’ve got a good ball club. We’re in the same boat everybody else is in. With the rain, we haven’t had any good practice outside. We’re going to get better. We’re going to work and improve.&uot;