ELLISVILLE — The Natchez Dixie Softball 15-and-under All-Star team got a solid complete-game outing from Kayla Starr as they had to hold on for a 14-10 win over Collins on a hot and humid Friday afternoon at the state tournament.

The Natchez 15-and-under All-Stars received a first-round bye and automatically advanced to the winners’ bracket before playing their first game of the tournament. Collins proved to be a formidable opponent.

“It was a hard-fought game. We’re very fortunate to come out ahead,” coach Rudy Wilson said. “We hit the ball well. It shouldn’t have been that close.”

Starr went all seven innings and struck out six batters. Amanda Maples and Aysa Terrell each went 2-for-4 while Bethany Barnes, Candi Gray, Jordan McCraney and Mattie Page Pintard each had a double.

Even though Natchez had 14 total hits in the game, miscues in the field were what Wilson attributed as the reason Collins got within one run of tying the game not once but twice.

Led by a four-run barrage in the bottom of the first inning, Natchez was on top 5-0 after two innings of play before Collins scored four runs in the top of the third inning to make it a 5-4 game.

Natchez responded with five runs in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 10-4. Collins answered with a five-run rally of its own in the top of the fifth and just like that the score was 10-9.

“We made a bunch of errors. We had to fight at the end,” Wilson said. “But I give them credit. They kept battling back.”

But Natchez finally put away Collins with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and Starr held the visiting team to just one run in the top of the seventh.

The Natchez 15-and-under All-Star team next goes up against Magee in a winners’ bracket game today at 9 a.m.

Columbia 3, Natchez 9-10s 2

ELLISVILLE — The Natchez Dixie Softball 9- and 10-year-old All-Star team appeared to be on its way to advancing to the winners’ bracket at the state tournament as a win over Columbia was in its grasp.

And then victory was taken away from the Natchez 9-10s in dramatic fashion. Columbia scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to rally for a stunning 3-2 win to drop Natchez to the losers’ bracket.

“They won in the bottom of the fifth with two outs, girl hit a blooper to the outfield with the bases loaded. Last-minute heroics for them. We were one strike away,” Natchez 9-10s coach Eric Jackson said.

Natchez took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth but Columbia kept getting runners on base against Rebecca Ratcliff, who was charged with the loss despite striking out six batters in three innings.

Ratcliff came in for starting pitcher Allison Jackson, who registered five of her six outs in the first two innings by way of the strikeout.

Jackson said that the offense was not nearly as productive as it could have been. Natchez had just two extra-base hits — a triple by Abby Fielder and a double from Brooke Collier — and no multiple hitters.

Natchez will look to stay alive when it takes on Bay St. Louis today at 9 a.m. in an elimination game.

Natchez 11-12s game delayed due to weather

PASCAGOULA — A strong thunderstorm with heavy rain and lightning forced the starting time for the Natchez Dixie Youth 11- and 12-year-old All-Star team’s opening-round game against Pascagoula Red to be pushed back from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday.

Results from that game will be published in Sunday’s Natchez Democrat.