Trinity, Cathedral play on this week
Published 12:01 am Monday, May 9, 2011
![050711_CathedralBaseball2_E](https:https://www.natchezdemocrat.com//wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2011/05/050711_CathedralBaseball2_E1.jpg)
ERIC SHELTON/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Jeffrey Hemphill turns to make the double play ahead of Cathedral’s Colton Webb during their game Friday afternoon at the Chester-Willis Field in Natchez.
NATCHEZ — Two local high schools — Trinity Episcopal and Cathedral School — both have baseball teams fighting through the playoffs.
Trinity Episcopal has already wrapped up its first South State Championship with a 2-0 sweep against Heidelberg Academy last week in the South State finals.
The Saints cruised by Heidelberg 13-2 in game one Wednesday behind a complete game, one-hit performance by pitcher Jake Winston.
The Saints used another dominant pitching performance by Givonni Dent to win a much closer game Friday, 3-0.
Dent also threw a complete-game, one-hitter for the Saints.
Trinity coach Mitch Ashmore said winning a South State Title is “a feeling you don’t get very often.”
Ashmore said he was pleased with the way his team played in the South State finals, and he is proud for the school and everybody involved with the baseball program.
The two wins put Trinity’s overall record at 22-3 this season. They will travel to Winona Christian in Winona. Game one will be 6 p.m. Tuesday. Game two will be played at Huntington Field 6 p.m. Friday. Game three will follow the second game, if needed.
Cathedral is still fighting for a South State title of its own, and the pitching in its series with Nanih Waiya does not compare to the Saints’ dominance.
Last week the Green Wave split two contests with the Warriors to force a third, and deciding, game at 4 p.m. today at Chester Willis Field. Cathedral dropped game one at home 10-8 Friday, but answered with a 17-15 win on the road Saturday.
“We feel confident, we ended game one with some momentum, even though we couldn’t get back even,” Cathedral coach Craig Beesley said. “We had some momentum going into game two and came out and scored early (to get the win).”
The series has been extremely high scoring and Beesley expects more of the same tonight.
“As far as hitting the ball, from top to bottom (we’re doing well),” Beesley said. “Our kids at the top (of the lineup) are getting on base, and we are starting to get some clutch hits and two-out hits. If we can continue to get clutch hits (we will be OK),”
Beesley also hopes his pitching and defense can find a way to slow Nanih Waiya’s offense down, he said.
“Hopefully, we can get a good performance on the mound, and play good defense (Monday),” Beesley said.