VICKSBURG — The Cathedral Lady Green Wave had seven productive innings from Elizabeth Smith and just enough offense in the first two innings to hold off a late charge by St. Aloysius for a 5-4 win over the Lady Flashes Tuesday afternoon in MHSAA Division 7-1A action.

Smith allowed four runs (none earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks. She also went 2-for-2 at the plate with one run batted in. McKenzie Milligan scored three of Cathedral’s five runs and went 2-for-4 with a triple. Baylee Graning drove in two runs.

“It was a battle. We knew it was going to be when we got here,” Lady Green Wave head coach Gary Blackwell said. “We wanted to come out and put a little pressure on them in the first inning. Elizabeth did a great job pitching.”

Actually, it ended up being the first couple of innings. The Lady Green Wave scored one run in the top of the first inning and added three more runs in the top of the second to go ahead 4-0. However, St. Aloysius would not go away quietly.

The Lady Flashes got back in the game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut Cathedral’s lead in half. The Lady Green Wave got one of those runs back in the top of the sixth inning. But as Blackwell pointed out, it could have been an even bigger frame for the visitors.

“We had the bases loaded and Marty (Lewis) hit a rip and it was a heck of a catch by the centerfielder,” Blackwell said. “They’re a big-hitting team. They came back. We had a couple of errors that kept them in it. It’s always a battle when you come up here.”

What also kept St. Aloysius in the game was a pitching change in the third inning. Stephanie Schoonover was relieved by Avery Parman and Parman kept the Lady Green Wave off balance when she was on the mound. And that was part of the reason Cathedral ended up with 11 runners left on base.

“Avery throws a little slower than Stephanie and we had trouble getting on it. Then they put the other pitcher back in. They played a good game. They used a good strategy,” Blackwell said. As for leaving so many runners left on base, he said that’s been a problem for much of the season.

The Lady Flashes scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one-run game, but Smith was able to close the door on their comeback attempt.

Schoonover was charged with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits and three walks to go with four strikeouts in three and two-thirds innings. Parman allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts and no walks in three and a third innings.

“We were able to hold them off at the end. We were fortunate to come out with a win,” Blackwell said.

Cathedral (8-7, 2-0) doesn’t play again until Tuesday, April 7 when it hosts Mount Olive for a varsity doubleheader starting at 4:30 p.m.

Avoyelles Charter 4, Monterey 1

MANSURA, La. — Bailey Book pitched six solid innings, but a lack of run production and too many errors cost Monterey as the Lady Wolves lost to the Avoyelles Charter Lady Vikings 4-1 Tuesday afternoon in an LHSAA District 6-B game.

Book was saddled with the loss on the mound even though she gave up four runs on just two hits with two strikeouts and no walks. The problem was all four runs were unearned because the defense behind her committed six errors.

Monterey scored one run in the top of the first inning, but could do nothing after that. Avoyelles Charter, on the other hand, scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good and added one run in the bottom of the second and one run in the bottom of the fifth.

Tiffany Weeks went 2-for-3 and Natlee Duncan had a double for the Lady Wolves.

Monterey (7-10, 2-1) next plays at 4 p.m. Thursday at Harrisonburg.

Franklin County 6, West Marion 0

MEADVILLE — Emily Smith pitched four shutout innings as the Franklin County Lady Bulldogs defeated the West Marion Lady Trojans 6-0 Tuesday afternoon in an MHSAA Division 7-3A game.

Smith was the winning pitcher for Franklin County. Alyssa Case led the Lady Bulldogs at the plate by going 3-for-4.

Franklin County (6-5, 2-0) next plays on Tuesday, April 7 at 6 p.m. when it hosts Brookhaven High School.