HATTIESBURG — The Natchez 11- and 12-year old All-Stars had just one hit off Ocean Springs pitcher Sean Bortosik Saturday afternoon in Game 2 of the State Championship series.

But that one hit proved to be the game-winning hit. Derrian Johnson’s second inning solo home run over the fence in centerfield, combined with a big-time pitching performance by Davion Ward, gave Natchez a 1-0 win and forced a third and deciding game for the state title today at 6 p.m.

The game was a classic pitching duel between Ward and Bortosik. Both pitchers went all six innings. Ward allowed just two hits, a single by Juston Teresitha in the bottom of the second inning and a single by Kyle Quist in the bottom of the fourth, and struck out 10 batters.

“Today we came out at 11 a.m. and we had a good practice,” Natchez head coach Johnny Williams said. “I wasn’t sure who our starting pitcher was going to be. Ward pitched against Hattiesburg and he was wild. But in practice he was throwing strikes.”

Bortosik used a combination of the fastball and change-up to keep Natchez off balanced throughout the game. But the one mistake he made, leaving a fastball up in the strike zone, proved to be costly.

“Ward is a big guy and Bortosik is a small guy who threw a couple of fastballs and threw a change-up every now and then,” Williams said. “It was a good game. Ward came out today and I was proud of him. He had a terrific day. Good pitching and good defense.”

Biloxi 20, Natchez 2

HATTIESBURG — It was not a good end to the season for the Natchez T.M. Jennings 9- and 10-year-old All-Stars as they lost to Biloxi in five innings and were swept in two games as Biloxi won the state championship.

Biloxi blew the game open with seven runs in the top of the fourth inning and four in the top of the fifth.

“They hit the ball hard. They had the bases loaded twice and they walked about three runs and they hit good,” Natchez head coach Lee Wong Hughes said. “We didn’t come out focused at all and we didn’t hit the ball.”

“We didn’t win the state championship, but we had a good season,” Hughes said. “We had a bunch of 9-year-olds and one or two 10-year-olds. We’re looking good for next year.”

Losing pitcher Lamarcus Singleton provided much of Natchez’s offense by going 2-for-2 with a double.