The Natchez High Bulldogs faced an opponent they had never seen before in the Class 4A Canton Tigers Monday afternoon at Chester Willis Field.

And despite eight strikeouts by Canton pitcher Aubrey Harris, the Bulldogs used a four-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning and some strong pitching of their own to defeat the Tigers 8-2.

“I was very pleased with their performance,” Bulldogs head coach Charlie Williams said. “We’re seeing the ball better at the plate. Defense was solid.”

Natchez High starting pitcher Thomas Hughes turned out to be the winning pitcher as he allowed one run on two hits and struck out four in four innings. Cameron Logan pitched the fifth and sixth innings and Johnny Williams pitched the seventh.

“I was very pleased with the pitching,” coach Williams said. “They threw strikes consistently. We only walked three tonight.”

Hughes also had a solid performance at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a solo home run in the bottom of the second for the first run of the game and a double. Desmond Smoot went 2-for-4 for Natchez High.

The Tigers scored one run in the top of the third inning to make it a 1-1 game before the Bulldogs took the lead for good with a run in the bottom of the third. Then the Bulldogs pulled away with their four runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 6-1 lead.

Despite the eight strikeouts, Harris walked six batters while giving up eight runs on seven hits in six innings.

Central Private 10, ACCS 4

CLINTON, La. — The ACCS Rebels had to play a near-perfect game to have any chance of defeating the powerhouse Central Private Rebels in the opening day of the Silliman Tournament.

Especially given that Central Private went 33-3 last season and won the first-ever MPSA Overall baseball championship in addition to capturing the last two Class AAA, Division II titles before going down to Class AA this season.

But it wasn’t meant to be as Central Private scored seven runs off Ryan Goddard in the top of the first inning and rolled to a six-run win over ACCS. Goddard is an eighth-grader and was making his first varsity start.

Granted, this was ACCS’s first game of the season. But having to take on an experienced Central Private team proved to be too much.

ACCS trailed 9-1 after two innings of play before scoring three runs in the bottom of the third off Jacob Fisher to cut the lead to 9-4, but the Central Private Rebels held ACCS scoreless in the final two innings of this five-inning contest.

Fisher was the winning pitcher as he gave up four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three. Goddard gave up just one earned run on two hits, one walk and one hit batter.

ACCS will continue its action in the Silliman Tournament when it takes on Oak Forest Wednesday at 7 p.m. and host Silliman Friday at 7 p.m.

Mangham 9, Block 1

MANGHAM, La. — Mason Free allowed one run in seven innings and the Dragons used three big innings to put away the Bears in the season opener for both teams.

Both the varsity and junior varsity games were originally scheduled for tonight, but with rain in the forecast for today and tonight, they were rescheduled.

It didn’t seem to bother Mangham, however, as the Dragons scored three runs in the bottom of the first, four in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the fifth.