NATCHEZ — Natchez High School’s Jatavis Melton ranged far to his right to field a ground ball. The sophomore shortstop went into a split to corral the sharply hit then grounder, then quickly shuffled the ball to Tydarius Terrell standing on second base, who then fired to first to complete the double play.

The nifty play helped Natchez escape a third inning jam and propel the Bulldogs to a 13-7 win over Region 6-5A rival Brookhaven High School.

Clinging to a 9-6 advantage in the third, Brookhaven managed to have its first two batters reach base safely. Melton’s slick fielding, however, helped his squad escape the jam with just one run scoring.

“The ground is kind of wet out there,” Melton said. “But I just stayed with it and didn’t give up, and we turned (the double play).”

The win pushes Natchez’s record to 7-9, but perhaps most importantly, now gives the Bulldogs a 4-1 record in region play.

“It feels good,” Natchez coach Dan Smith said. “We started off slow, but we came on (Friday).”

The Bulldogs certainly did.

Natchez trailed 5-0 after the top of the first inning, but rallied in the bottom half of the frame to take an 8-5 advantage and never looked back.

“We didn’t hold our heads down,” Smith said. “They came back and kept fighting and fighting, and look what happened.”

Melton was at the center of the rally as he roped two base hits, drove in two runs and scored a run.

“I told the guys to pick their heads,” Melton said. “I told them to get off their butts, play defense and hit the ball, and that’s what we did.”

Natchez’s win evens the season series with Brookhaven, as the Panthers (3-11, 2-1) won 4-0 Tuesday night.

“To me, I knew we were going to win (Friday),” Melton said. “Every time we hit the ball, we just were popping everything up (Tuesday).”

Bulldog starting pitcher Shavoké Herrington started off slow allowing five runs in the first, but the right-handed hurler bounced back strongly to limit Brookhaven to just one earned run the rest of the game.

“I was really proud of him, because he didn’t have his best (Friday),” Smith said. “This is probably the worst he’s pitched all year, but he fought and stayed in the strike zone. The defense was shaky early, but we came back and played a full game.”

The Bulldogs busted the game open with a four-run sixth, headlined by another two-run single by Melton.

“We just have to keep playing ball,” Melton said. “I know we can go far (in the playoffs).”

Natchez recorded six steals in the game.

Melton recorded four hits in the win. Jadarius Ivory recorded a two-RBI single, while Terrell, Herrington and Quincy Henderson each produced run-scoring hits.

Natchez will look to continue the momentum today at 11 a.m. when it hosts Vicksburg High School.

“We’re feeling pretty good right now,” Smith said. “We’re getting better, but I want us to keep getting better. I don’t want us to get complacent.”