NATCHEZ — Darrius Terrell may like to clown around with his teammates a lot, but his hit in the bottom of the fifth inning was no laughing matter.

That’s because Terrell’s walkoff double forced Natchez High School’s game against Forest Hill to be called due to the 10-runs-after-five mercy rule, giving the Bulldogs a 15-5 victory.

Securing a playoff spot with the win was icing on the cake for Terrell, whose double scored starting pitcher Dominique Salter and Jarrell Morris.

“It was great. It wasn’t what I was looking for, but I did it,” Terrell said.

Even though he wanted a home run, Terrell said the win was a big one for him and his teammates.

“We’re the first team to go to the playoffs this year (at NHS),” Terrell said.

NHS (4-7) scored runs almost at will against Forest Hill, and Salter provided plenty of cushion for the Bulldogs. He gave up five runs on one hit and six walks, but with the way the Bulldogs were hitting, those runs seemed relatively insignificant.

The Bulldogs pounded 14 hits against Forest Hill, something head coach Skip Golding said he was very pleased to see out of his team.

“The kids swung the bat good, but the level of pitching isn’t nearly what we’ve seen with Stringer and Terry,” Golding said. “But they swung the bat better and hit the ball hard.”

Golding was also complimentary of Salter, who pitched a complete game for the Bulldogs.

“He’s our most consistent pitcher, and he and (Derrian Johnson) are the guys we’ve been working with this year,” Golding said. “They always give me a good effort on the mound.”

After Forest Hill’s Justin McDonald stole home in the top fo the first, Davion Ward singled in Jadarrius Williams in the bottom of the first to tie the game 1-1. NHS went ahead 4-1 in the bottom of the second when Denzel Washington came home on a single by Williams, and a double by Ward sent home Williams and Johnson.

McDonald scored again for Forest Hill on a passed ball, and DeAndre Averett came home on a fielder’s choice groundout by Isaiah Rush, cutting NHS’s lead to 4-3.

But that would be the last time the game would be that close, as NHS scored three more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Washington brought home Salter on a single, then Terrell scored from third while Salter got caught in a rundown between first and second. Travonta Green capped off the inning by scoring on a passed ball.

The Bulldogs added six more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Forest Hill managed two runs in the top of the fifth. But Terrell’s walkoff double sealed the win for NHS, which will play today at Ridgeland High School.

Williams, Johnson and Terrell all went 2-for-4 in the game. Forest Hill starter Jaylan Hibbler took the loss.