Bulldog onslaught
Published 12:01 am Sunday, February 26, 2012
NATCHEZ — The Natchez High School baseball team did not waste any time jumping ahead of Jefferson County in their baseball game Saturday afternoon at Chester Willis Field.
The first six Bulldogs’ batters each scored in the bottom of the first inning to push Natchez High to a 6-0 lead after one inning.
The Bulldog onslaught continued in the second inning when Natchez scored eight runs. The game was called after two-and-a-half innings with Natchez taking home the 14-0 victory.
Natchez head coach Skip Golding said he was happy to see his team hit well, but he was more impressed with the performance of winning-pitcher Dominique Salter the Bulldogs’ improving defense.
“Dominique did a great job pitching on the mound,” Golding said. “And I thought we continued to get better defensively. We made plays on every ball they put into play.”
Salter pitched all three innings for Natchez and allowed just one walk while striking out five Jefferson County batters.
Travonta Green led off the game for the Bulldogs by getting hit by a pitch. Jadarrius Williams followed Green with a walk, and Davion Ward brought both Green and Williams home with a two-RBI single.
Derrian Johnson followed with a walk on a wild pitch, and Ward, who had advanced to third on a stolen base, scored from third. Ward finished the game 2-2 with two runs, three RBIs and a walk.
Lamarcus Singleton then singled to score Johnson. Christian Day followed Singleton’s single with a walk as the first six hitters reached base for Natchez. Singleton scored on an RBI-ground out by Salter, and Christian Day then scored on an RBI-single by Lee Jackson to end the scoring in the first inning.
Natchez continued its scoring run in the second inning. After a strikeout to start the inning, the next 10 Bulldogs hitters reached base with eight of them coming around to score.
Green, Ward, Johnson, Singleton and Day each scored twice for Natchez.
Eighth-grader Delderick White took the loss for Jefferson County. The Tigers made five errors and walked seven batters in the game to go along with Natchez’s six hits.
Both teams lost to Port Gibson before facing one another in the nightcap. Port Gibson defeated Jefferson County 13-7 and beat Natchez 9-3.
Jefferson County drops to 0-2 on the season, and Natchez goes to 1-1. The Bulldogs and the Tigers will face off again on the diamond Wednesday at Chester Willis Field.