The Natchez High Bulldogs got off to a slow start and trailed Forest Hill 5-0 going into the bottom of the second inning. That lead didn’t last much longer.

Natchez High used a seven-run rally in the bottom of the third inning to take the lead for good and then ended the game early with a six-run fifth inning as the Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 18-8 Tuesday night at Chester Willis Field in a Division 6-5A game.

Chad Smoot led Natchez High’s 14-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with a double while Edward Johnson was 3-for-4 with a double. Winning pitcher Cameron Logan went 2-for-4.

Natchez High (6-4, 2-0) cut into the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second and had its big rally an inning later for a 10-5 lead. Forest Hill tried to respond and did so with three runs of its own in the top of the fourth to make it a 10-8 game.

The Bulldogs, however, ended the Rebels’ attempted rally by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth and six in the bottom of the fifth.

Franklin County 3, West Marion 2

FOXWORTH — Dane Hodges’s solo home run in the top of the eighth inning proved to be the difference as the Bulldogs defeated the Trojans on the road Tuesday night for their first win in Region 7-3A play this season.

The game was somewhat of a pitchers’ duel between winning pitcher Blaine Abernathy and losing pitcher Jurkins (no first name given). Both pitchers went all eight innings with Abernathy striking out 10 while giving up nine hits, all of them singles. Jurkins gave up seven hits, but the last one proved to be the costliest.

Franklin County (4-6, 1-2) forced the game to go to extra innings by scoring one run in the top of the fifth inning to make it a 2-2 game.

Jordan Hunt went 2-for-2 with a double and Cable McMinn was 2-for-4 for the Bulldogs. Morgan led West Marion (5-5, 0-3) by going 2-for-5.

Jena 12, Monterey 5

MONTEREY — Monterey jumped out to a 4-1 lead after two innings of play, but a seven-run rally in the top of the fourth inning ended any chances of an upset win as the Class 3A Giants defeated the Class B Wolves Tuesday night.

Monterey (2-5) scored two runs each in the first two innings while Jena managed just one run in the top of the second. Unfortunately for the Wolves, they could only score one more run the rest of the game while Jena scored in each of the final four innings.

Winning pitcher Dustin Poole went 2-for-4 with a double and Lynn Smith went 2-for-3. Jena (4-1) wound up with 11 hits while taking advantage of seven Monterey errors.

Landon White hit a home run while Austin Lipsey and Beau Shivley each went 2-for-4 for the Wolves.

Delhi Charter 2, Block 0

JONESVILLE — Hunter Simms may be a freshman, but on Tuesday night he pitched like a junior or a senior as he struck out 14 batters in a winning effort as the Gators defeated the Bears.

In a pitchers’ duel between Simms and Block’s Justin Winborne, the game was tied at 0-0 until the top of the seventh inning. With two on and one out, Ryan Russell singled down the left field line to score both runners. That proved to be the game-winning hit.

“It was a great game,” Block head coach Scott Green said. “Justin was throwing nothing but fastballs. He got into the low 80s. He (Simms) had a devastating curveball that we just couldn’t lay off of.”

Both Hunter Simms and Winborne went the distance. Simms walked six while Winborne struck out eight and walked five.

Block (4-4) had multiple opportunities to score in the game, but left nine runners in scoring position. Two times the Bears had the bases loaded, but Simms came up with big strikeouts to end the inning.

“I told them after the game considering what we have left, we played well,” Green said. “It was a great baseball game. Both teams played their butts off.”

Heath Simms led Delhi Charter (7-4) at the plate by going 2-for-3. Ethan Trisler was 2-for-4 and Casey Ryan had a double for Block. The win ended a three-game losing streak, which came after they defeated the Bears 11-1 on Feb. 27.

Porter’s Chapel 10, Huntington 0

VICKSBURG — Cole Donald held Huntington to just four hits while Michael Busby went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles as the Eagles defeated the Hounds in five innings Tuesday night.

Porter’s Chapel collected eight hits, took advantage of three errors by Huntington (1-4) and scored in all five innings while the Hounds could get no offense going against Donald.

Zack Brown had the only extra-base hit for the Hounds with a double. Hayden Hales had a triple for the Eagles.

Silliman 11, WCCA 8

CLINTON, La. — The Wildcats jumped out to a big lead early on and then held off a late-game rally to defeat the Rams Tuesday night.

Silliman scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning and four in the bottom of the third to take what appeared to be a commanding 9-0 lead. They led that lead until the fifth inning, when WCCA (4-5) attempted a comeback.

The Rams scored one run in the top of the fifth and six runs in the top of the sixth and just like that the Wildcats were leading by just two runs. But the rally ended when the Wildcats scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth for an 11-7 lead.

This was not a pretty game at all. Both teams combined for 13 errors – seven by WCCA and six by Silliman. The two teams also combined for 18 hits.