LAKE CHARLES, La. — The good news for the Natchez Rams in the first pool play of the USSSA Baseball World Series was that Javon Washington threw a complete-game no-hitter.

The bad news was that the offense couldn’t produce any runs and the defense committed two costly errors in the sixth inning that resulted in a 2-0 loss to the Sulphur, La., Knights Monday afternoon.

“It was a battle of the pitchers for the first five innings with a no-hitter,” Rams head coach Gene Banks said. “We got the first hit with Trevon Chatman. He had the only hit for Natchez.”

In addition to the no-hitter, Washington struck out 12 batters. But in the sixth inning, the defense behind him let him down. Winning pitcher James Roscoe was equally up to the task on the mound for the Knights as he allowed just the one hit.

Natchez will play its second pool game today at 8 a.m. against the Texas Stingrays from of Houston.

“It was a real good game,” Banks said. “This is a pool game. Those two games will determine where we will be seeded for the tournament, which starts Wednesday. We can lose both games and still be seeded high because of how many runs we give up.”

Banks said Chatman will be the starting pitcher for the Rams for today’s game against the Stingrays.