NATCHEZ — Needing an opponent for Tuesday afternoon after its MHSAA Region 6-5A varsity doubleheader against Forest Hill High School was canceled, Natchez High School head coach Dan Smith was able to find one — cross-town rival Cathedral High School.

After four and a half innings, Natchez High found itself trailing 5-1 and seemingly on the verge of defeat. That was until the Bulldogs’ bats woke up in the bottom of the fifth inning as they scored 12 runs in the frame and ended up taking a 16-5 win over the Green Wave in six innings at Chester Willis Field.

Paul Hargrave did his best to keep the Bulldogs in the game by allowed just two hits and striking out eight batters over six innings. But the defense behind him committed five errors and all five runs Hargrave gave up were of the unearned variety. He also waked four batters.

Cathedral struck for one run in the top of the first inning, three runs in the top of the second and one run in the top of the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. Natchez High got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth.

Then from out of nowhere, the Bulldogs woke up offensively in the bottom of the fifth. And they took advantage of several walks issued by Jake Hairston and Trey Gill. Their 12-run rally gave them a 13-5 lead. Natchez High put the 10-run rule in effect with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Gill, the fifth pitcher used by Green Wave head coach Craig Beesley, was charged with the loss after allowing eight runs on five hits and four walks in one inning. Hairston, the fourth pitcher for Cathedral, did not record a single out and gave up five runs on one hit and three walks.

Starting pitcher Sam Mosby and the first two relievers to come in, Ben Foster and Hollis Lees, did a good job of keeping Natchez High silent in the first four innings. The trio allowed just one run on two hits with six combined strikeouts over that stretch.

Jamel Myles and Lionell Minor led the Bulldogs at the plate. Myles was 2-for-3 with two doubles, four runs batted in, and one run scored. Minor went 2-for-4 with a home run, five RBIs, and two runs scored.

Will Mabry and Conner Murray had the only base-hits for the Green Wave.

Cathedral (4-6) hosts Central Private School for an MAIS District 5-AAA varsity doubleheader Thursday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Natchez High (4-3) is scheduled to play at Forest Hill Friday at 6 p.m.

Silliman Institute 10, ACCS 0 (6 innings)

CLINTON, La. — Brock Berthelot pitched seven innings of scoreless, two-hit ball and Ben LeJuene went 2-for-3 with a double as the Silliman Institute Wildcats defeated the Adams County Christian School Rebels 10-0 in six innings Tuesday night in an MAIS District 5-AAA game.

Silliman was only up 1-0 after three innings of play before scoring six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to essentially put the game away. The Wildcats scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to enact the 10-run rule.

Berthelot helped his own cause by going 3-for-4 at the plate and Easton Rish went 2-for-4 for Silliman.

ACCS (6-3, 0-1) hosts Silliman Institute for a varsity doubleheader Friday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.