The Natchez Dixie Youth Softball 11- to 12-year-old All-Stars raced past the Lawrence County All-Stars Saturday, winning 17-6 and 9-7 in the District 7 softball tournament.

The two wins gave the Natchez All-Stars the district crown, qualifying them for the state tournament Friday in Monticello.

“I’m very proud of the girls,” Natchez coach David Parsons said. “They stuck with it through the heat, and they did very well.”

Natchez set the tone early and often in the first, scoring eight runs in the first inning and adding nine more in the second.

Katelon Neetles smacked a run-scoring single, while Presley Martin had a single and drove in two runs to highlight the attack.

“I knew we had to be aggressive, and we wanted to jump on them quick,” Parsons said. “I just wanted to get a big lead and keep it.”

Natchez managed to do just that. While the Natchez bats were catching fire, Martin kept Lawrence County as she struck out six batters in three innings.

“She’s calm,” Parsons said of his top pitcher. “She doesn’t let anything bother her. Nothing gets to her.”

In Game 2, Natchez broke open a one-run game with a four-run fourth en route to a 9-7 win.

Parsons said the key to his squad in the second contest was his team’s ability to come up with timely hits.

“I thought our batting was better in the second game,” he said. “In the second game, their pitcher was a little bit better. They did walk some people, but we did better hitting. We capitalized on hits and got some runs to come around to score.”

Brooke Collier and Marly McGarry each recorded base hits in Game 2 while Abby Fielder had two hits, including a double.