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FLORENCE — Two teams going in completely different directions faced each other last Tuesday afternoon in the first game of a three-game series as the Florence High School Eagles played host to the Natchez High School Bulldogs.

Unfortunately for Natchez High, it remained at the bottom of the MHSAA Region 3-5A standings as the Bulldogs could not get anything going against Florence and starting pitcher Noah Reynolds as the Eagles needed just four innings to take a 16-2 win.

What was perhaps most interesting about this game was that no player for either team had two or more base hits and that not a single player in the batting order for each team had an extra-base hit.

Florence took command of this game by plating seven runs off Braylon McDaniel in the bottom of the first inning. Yet Bulldogs head coach Dan Smith kept McDaniel on the mound for the rest of the game.

It probably would not have mattered who the Bulldogs had on the mound as far as the Eagles were concerned. They were going to continue to add to their lead regardless. Florence scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning to make it a 10-0 game.

Natchez High scored two runs in the top of the third inning off Reynolds. Chris Sewell scored one run while JaCori Davis reached on an error and scored one run. Florence responded by scoring six runs in the bottom of the third to go ahead 16-2. Sewell was 1-for-2.

Reynolds was the winning pitcher as he went four innings and gave up two unearned runs on three hits with eight strikeouts, no walks, and one hit batter.

McDaniel was charged with the loss after going three inning and allowing 16 runs, six of them earned, on five hits with two strikeouts, nine walks, and three hit batters. Mason Bouldin and Charles Grant III each went 1-for-2 for the Bulldogs.

Even though Florence had just five base hits, they Eagles also took advantage of those nine walks as well as five Natchez High errors.

Ethan Horton was 1-for-1 with one run batted in, one run scored, was walked twice, and stole three bases while Reynolds helped his own cause by going 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Eagles at the plate. Rylan McFall was 1-for-2 with one RBI and three runs scored.

Austin Pickett was 1-for-2 with one RBI, two runs scored, five stolen bases, and was walked once. Andrew Woods went 1-for-3 with one RBI, two runs scored, and was hit by a pitch once.

With the loss, Natchez High fell to 7-12 overall and 0-7 in region play. The Bulldogs play host to Florence for a Region 3-5A varsity doubleheader at Chester Willis Field on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.