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NATCHEZ — Nick Young, Braxton Hughes, and Collin Smith each had big hits for Parklane Academy during its 13-run rally in the top of the fifth inning as the Pioneers defeated the Cathedral High School Green Wave 16-9 last Wednesday afternoon.

The game was originally scheduled to take place last Tuesday night, but both the varsity and junior varsity games were rescheduled because of the severe weather and strong winds that moved through the Miss-Lou region on Tuesday.

Parklane Academy led the game 1-0 after one inning of play, but Cathedral scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Green Wave’s rally was highlighted by two-run doubles from Drake Cox and Houston Edwards.

“I thought we started off the game pretty good. At the start of the game, we put together some good at-bats,” Green Wave head coach Andrew Beesley said.

The Pioneers added another run in the top of the third off Cathedral starting pitcher Owen Jordan to make it a 5-2 game. However, the Green Wave answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 7-2 lead.

But there was one thing Beesley was concerned about and that was Jordan’s pitch count. Even though Jordan struck out seven batters, he also walked four batters. The first two batters for the Pioneers reached base to start the top of the fifth and at that point, Beesley had to take Jordan out and he brought in Doug Smith in relief.

“We’ve got to consistently throw strikes so our starters can go deeper in the game and not get their pitch count so high,” Beesley said.

Jordan went four-plus innings and gave up four runs, two of them earned, with a few base hits. Those first two runners he allowed to reach base scored for Parklane in the top of the fifth and he was charged with those two runs.

As soon as Smith got on the mound, the Pioneers’ line-up went to work. Smith lasted just one-third of an inning and that one out was a strikeout. But he also gave up 10 runs, nine of them earned, on six hits and one walk. Young, who went 3-for-4, and Hughes each had a two-run double while Smith had an RBI double.

That big inning gave Parklane a 15-7 lead and it seemed to take the air completely out of Cathedral. Young ended up being the winning pitcher as he gave up two runs, none of them earned, on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks over two and one-third innings.

“We’re searching for that guy who can stop the bleeding when things don’t go our way,” Beesley said. “It’s hard to win a game when you strike out 14 times. They’ve got a talented team.”

Jax Toler went 3-for-6 with a double and George Glass was 2-for-4 for Parklane. Tripp Wimberly led Cathedral at the plate as he went 3-for-4 and Edwards was 2-for-3.

With the loss, the Green Wave fell to 7-4 overall. They were scheduled to play at Brookhaven Academy on Friday with the JV game at either 4:30 or 5 p.m., followed by the varsity game at either 6:30 or 7 p.m.

Then Cathedral has two games next week at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit. The Green Wave takes on Parklane Academy on Monday, March 10, at 4:30 p.m. and then faces off with Brookhaven Academy on Tuesday, March 11 at 2 p.m.