NATCHEZ — Family Medicine Associates of Natchez racked up 22 hits en route to topping Merit Health 14-4 in the Darlings Division of the Natchez-Adams Girls Softball League Thursday night.

Family Medicine jumped out to a 5-2 advantage after the first inning and never looked back.

Leila Ray led FMA with three hits, including a pair of two-run singles.

“We hit the ball well and we caught the ball well,” Ray said. “I had a lot of fun. Playing with my teammates is the most fun thing I’ve ever done.”

Addison Massey capped off the hitting barrage in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run home run to center field that gave her squad the win.

“We struggled a little defensively (Thursday), but when we got it together, the kids did well,” Family Medicine coach Brian Massey said. “They’re getting better and better as the year has gone on.”

Merit Health coach Jordan Petty said she was encouraged by the way her squad competed.

“The girls love it,” Petty said. “They come out every day and have such a good time. Win or lose, it’s really not about that at this point in time. They have fun playing with each other. I enjoy it with my life, and I would not trade this for anything.”

Merit Health jumped out to a a 2-0 lead after the top of the first when Breanna Groue smacked an RBI double and Lauren McFarland laced a run-scoring single.

Family Medicine’s Emma Massey recorded a pair of RBI triples while Mia Wolfe recorded three hits and drove in three runs.

Lizzie Fife had a pair of singles and an RBI for Merit Health.

Family Medicine will be back in action at 6 p.m. Tuesday night when it plays Scott’s Welding.

“It’s so rewarding to see where the kids (currently) are from where we first started practicing,” Massey said. “They’ve come a long ways.”

Merit Health will attempt to get back on the winning track Thursday night when it squares off against Concordia Bank.

“They’ve improved by 100 percent since the beginning of the season,” Petty said. “They’re all hitting the ball, they’re all making contact, they’re all running and listening to the coaches. They’re doing the little things and getting prepared for seasons to come.”