NATCHEZ &045; So what if both teams are heading in opposite directions in District 4-AA.

Silliman head coach Randy Sandifer still had a case of the nerves Wednesday against Trinity Episcopal.

It could have been how the teams picked up from where they left off two weeks ago with Saints holding a 1-0 lead after an inning. All the Wildcats had to do was jump back up on the Saints early Wednesday, and that’s exactly how it happened as they took an 11-1 win over the Saints at Chester Willis Field.

It loosed up Sandifer afterward, whose club is 5-0 heading into Friday’s district contest against Bowling Green.

&uot;This was a big one to get out of the way,&uot; Sandifer said. &uot;I know (Trinity coach) Matt (Mason) is young. They’ll get going before it’s all over with. I’m glad we’re done with them. I tell my guys each one of them counts the same and it doesn’t matter who it is.

&uot;A team like this scares me more than anybody. You know one night they’re going to put it all together.&uot;

The Saints couldn’t get it going at the plate against Silliman right-hander John Beauchamp, who came back to pitch the final five innings and toss a two-hitter. The Saints had an infield single in that first inning two weeks ago but had only one hit Wednesday when Kyle Dunaway doubled with two outs in the sixth.

Beauchamp finished with 13 strikeouts while walking one and hitting one as the Saints lost for the second time in three days by 10 runs.

&uot;We’re not playing well right now,&uot; Mason said. &uot;That’s the bottom line. I think he was throwing hard slider, and we hadn’t seen a lot of that. He was doing a great job. We’re halfway through the season. I know the players are discouraged right now, and the coaching staff is a little bit discouraged right now. We’ll learn a lot about these kids, and they’ll learn a lot about themselves the rest of this ball season.&uot;

The Saints had the run in the first inning from two weeks ago when Zach Rogel had an infield single and scored on a passed ball, but things weren’t like that Wednesday. Beauchamp had 10 of his 15 outs on strikeouts in the continuation and got out of the only trouble he got into in the sixth with a strikeout.

In the fourth he fanned the side in order on called third strikes.

&uot;He pitched Friday (against Columbia), and he was coming back on short rest,&uot; Sandifer said. &uot;I think the breaking ball was a little better tonight. He struggled early. It had been about a week and a half before he pitched before (Friday), but he settled tonight.&uot;

The Saints got a runner on third in the third when Clint Easom reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and went to third on a throwing error on the steal. But Beauchamp got Blaine Misita to fly out to second and the next batter to strike out looking to end the inning.

&uot;Silliman is a good ball team, and they’re traditionally strong,&uot; Mason said. &uot;Randy does a good job, and they’ve got a good program. When you play those types of teams, you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game and step up and battle. If not, you’ll play five or six innings of baseball and that’s it.&uot;

The Wildcats got the quick lead in the second inning to take the momentum early off Trinity starter Stevan Ridley, who went five innings for his longest stint on the mound in some time.

Graham Arnold doubled in Pablo Martinez and Cameron Gentry for a 3-1 lead after two runners reached base on errors.

The Wildcats then rung up five in the third off Ridley on two errors, a walk and a hit batsman. Blair Reynolds singled home a run and scored on an error, Martinez and Ashton Donze each reached on errors and Gentry doubled them both in for a 9-1 lead after three.

Ridley got out of a jam in the fifth when the Wildcats loaded the bases with two outs before the big right-hander got a strikeout to end the inning.

The Wildcats tacked on two in the sixth to end it.

&uot;I think when we scored those runs early &045; to come back during a suspended game, it put some pressure on them,&uot; Sandifer said. &uot;I’d like to have had a lot more in the fifth inning when we had them loaded. It could have saved Beauchamp some pitching.&uot;