NATCHEZ — The Natchez Dixie Youth 12-year-old All-Star team put on an offensive show Saturday afternoon to entertain the fans that showed up at Duncan Park to benefit a young Natchez athlete.

The Natchez 12s faced off against the Natchez 11-year-old team, and the 12s pounded out 13 hits and scored 13 runs to beat the 11s 13-2.

The battle of the Natchez all-stars was one of 10 games played at Duncan Park Saturday to raise money for Austin Dungan.

Dungan, 12, began playing Dixie Youth baseball at the age of 7, but doctors cautioned him against playing this year due to a congenital heart disease. Saturday’s games raised money for the Dungan family’s trip to Boston for Austin’s fourth heart surgery.

“This was a nice thing we did, especially with the community coming out to try to support (Austin),” 11s coach Brynson Rogers said. “(Austin) always tries as hard as he can with the teams he can play on, and everybody was enthusiastic about trying to support Austin and get him to Boston.”

Natchez 12s coach Cole Brown said the game was especially important to his players, who are the same age as Austin.

“I think anytime you know somebody you want to show support,” Brown said. “When you know him personally, you’re not out here just competing anymore. You are out here for a much greater cause.”

Brown’s 12-year-olds gave the fans plenty of offense to watch in the first inning alone.

After the Natchez 11s pushed across one run in the top of the first on an Andrew Merriett walk, a Ben Foster single and a Marcus Hooker RBI single, the 12s exploded for six runs in the bottom of the inning.

The first six 12-year-old batters reached safely. Josh Day started the inning off with a triple, Dre’ Melton then walked and Marshall Edmonds followed with a single. Rudy Nugent doubled and Cole Switzer and D.A. Washington followed with singles. Dee Batieste also tripled in the inning, and the 12s tallied seven hits to score their six runs.

Brown said he was pleased with the way his players hit the ball, but he wants them to remember they are playing younger competition.

“People forget this is 11s versus 12s,” he said. “It’s going to be a little lopsided. But (the 11s) have a good squad and Coach (David) Lindsey and Coach Rogers do a great job.”

The 12s slowed down the offense a bit in the second inning and only scored one run to make the score 7-1.

The 11s pushed a run across to cut their deficit to five in the top of the third. Foster and Hooker both singled again, and Hooker came around to score on an RBI walk by Hunter Carroll.

The 11s left the bases loaded in the third inning as well.

“In the first two innings we were pretty strong against them,” Rogers said. “But we made some careless errors and didn’t get the crucial hits.”

The 12s had some fireworks left for the bottom of the third inning with the biggest coming off the bat of Edmonds.

The tall left-hander crushed a home run over the right-centerfield fence to lead off the inning. The next six batters reached for the 12s with five of them scoring. Nugent doubled in the frame, and Switzer added a triple.

Brown said it was good to see all his players hit, and he is still trying to set the team’s lineup before the sub-district begins next weekend

“We still have to build the lineup and get the right people in the right places,” he said.

Brown said he hopes the game helped the 11s prepare for their sub-district, which begins Saturday.

“When you play better competition, it makes you better,” he said.

The 11s also lost to the T.M. Jennings 11- and 12-year-old All-Star team 15-6 earlier in the day, but Rogers said the team played better in that game.

All the money raised at Saturday’s event will go to help the Dungan family pay for Austin’s trip to Boston.