Natchez bounces back from home loss to Vicksburg with road win at Port Gibson

Published 11:21 am Wednesday, March 8, 2023

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PORT GIBSON — Natchez High School’s varsity baseball team had just five base hits in the Bulldogs’ wild 15-10 comeback win over Port Gibson High School last Tuesday night to end a three-game losing streak.

But that’s because the Blue Waves committed five errors and their pitching walked an absurd 14 batters. And for the most part, the Bulldogs were able to take advantage of Port Gibson’s array of miscues.

Natchez High jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but starting pitcher Caron Williams could not hold that lead as Port Gibson struck four three runs in the bottom of the second for a 3-2 lead. Williams lasted just one and one-third innings and gave up three runs, two of them earned, on five walks and one hit batter despite not giving up a single base hit. He also struck out three batters.

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The Bulldogs responded with two runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-3 lead, but that lead did not last very long as the Blue Waves answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third for a 5-4 advantage.

However, any thoughts of MHSAA Class 3A Port Gibson upsetting Class 5A Natchez High ended when the Bulldogs struck for seven runs in the top of the fourth inning for an 11-5 lead. The Bulldogs added one run each in the top of the fifth and sixth innings to stretch their lead to 13-5 before the Blue Wave scored one run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 13-6 game.

Traylon Mino led the Bulldogs at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, one run batted, and two runs scored while being walked twice. Kameron Carter went 1-for-3, was walked twice and scored four runs. Daiquiri Gaylor was 1-for-3 with one RBI, two runs scored, and was walked twice.

Caron Williams was 1-for-3, was walked once, was hit by a pitch, and scored two runs. Kyrin Williams was walked twice, hit by a pitch, and scored two runs.

Natchez High plated two runs in the top of the seventh inning to go up 15-6, which was big because Port Gibson tried one more rally, this time against Gaylor, the third pitcher the Bulldogs went with. The Blue Waves scored four runs off him in the bottom of the seventh, but Gaylor was able to put a stop to that comeback attempt.

Jaylin Davis was the first pitcher in relief of Williams for the Bulldogs and he allowed just two earned runs on two hits, struck out six, and walked only one in three and two-third inning. Gaylor was credited with the win despite giving up five runs, four of them earned, on eight walks and just one strikeout over his two innings on the mound.

Natchez High (5-4) played host to Cathedral High School at Chester Willis Field on Thursday with the junior varsity game at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 7 p.m.

Vicksburg 11, Natchez High 0 (Monday night; 6 innings)

NATCHEZ — Vicksburg High School pitcher Braylon Green overcame six walks by striking out five batters and holding Natchez High School to just one hit as the Gators rolled to an 11-0 win over the Bulldogs in six innings last Monday night at Chester Willis Field.

The big innings for Vicksburg were the third and the sixth innings. The Gators were only up 1-0 on Natchez High when they plated four runs on Bulldogs starting pitcher Skylar Brown in the top of the third for a 5-0 lead.

The Gators scored one run an inning later and then scored five runs in the top of the sixth for an 11-0 lead. Green then did his thing on the mound to run-rule the Bulldogs.

Tyler Carter led Vicksburg at the plate by going 2-for-3 with two triples, four runs batted in, and two runs scored. Kaelon Bass was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. Menser Minor was walked three times and scored three times. Connor Harrigill drove in two runs and Chris Green scored three runs.

Brown pitched all six innings for Natchez High and gave up 11 runs, five of them earned, on seven hits and five walks while striking out six batters and hitting one batter. He was hurt by a defense that committed six errors. Traylon Minor had the only base hit for the Bulldogs.