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NATCHEZ — After not being able to hold on to an early lead and having its comeback attempt fall short in a 13-9 Game 1 loss to Copiah Academy, Adams County Christian School responded with a six-run rally in the bottom of the first inning in the nightcap.

That would allow the ACCS Rebels to go on and defeat the Colonels 9-5 to take Game 2 and split an MAIS District 4-5A varsity doubleheader at Papa New Field. So did a strong pitching performance by Sean Kerry Cothern.

In Game 2, Copiah Academy tried to pick up where it left off after using its power, patience, and speed in a 13-9 win over the Rebels in the opener. Instead, Cothern cooled down the Colonels’ offense over five rock-solid innings.

Even though the Colonels jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to an RBI single down the left field line by eighth-grader Hadley Watts and an RBI triple to right field by Jack Kitchens, the Rebels answered in kind in the home half of the first inning to take the lead for good. Surprisingly, the biggest blow in ACCS’s half of the first wasn’t even a base hit. It was a walk by Ryder Smith that brought in two runs.

The Colonels scored one run in the top of the second inning to make it a 6-3 game, but the Rebels kept their momentum by plating two runs in the bottom of the second thanks to a Copiah Academy error and a single by Smith. The visiting team from Gallman scored one run in the top of the fourth to trail 8-4, but ACCS scored one run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-4 lead.

Cothern was the winning pitcher after allowing four runs, all of them earned, and scattered four hits while striking out seven, walking four, and hitting two batters in five innings. Jackson Anderson and Coleman Carter came on in relief to finish off Copiah Academy.

While Watts tried to help his own cause early on in the game, he did not last very long on the mound. He was charged with the loss after giving up five runs on just two hits but also four walks with just one strikeout over two-thirds of an innings.

At the plate, the Rebels dished out 10 total base hits. They were led by Cothern, who helped his own cause by going 2-for-3 with one run batted in and one run scored, and Ethan Givens, who went 2-for-4 with a double. Carter was 1-for-2 with three runs scored.

In the opener of the doubleheader, ACCS jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Carter earned an infield single to bring in one run and an error by the Colonels brought in another run.

The next four innings were pretty much dominated by Copiah Academy. Bryson Moss doubled in two runs to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the second inning. Then the Colonels exploded for six runs on four in the top of the third inning, with Braylon Welch’s two-run single being the big blow.

After Carter got the start on the mound for the Rebels and gave up just two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks in two innings, Jackson Anderson would pitch four and two-thirds innings of relief and gave up five runs, only two of them earned, on four hits while four strikeouts and three walks.

Even though each team scored two runs in the third inning, giving Copiah Academy a 10-4 lead, the Colonels put even more much-needed space between them and ACCS after scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 13-4 advantage.

The Rebels scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning off starting pitcher Will Drew, with the big hits being a two-run double by Givens and an RBI double by Cothern. Unfortunately, after Drew was taken out of the game with one out in that frame, ACCS was unable to keep its momentum going and was held to one hit over the last inning and two-thirds.

Drew was still able to get the win on the mound for the Colonels after giving up nine runs, eight of them earned, on 13 hits with six strikeouts and just two walks over five and one-third innings. The Colonels won the game despite being out-hit by the Rebels 14 to 10.

Kitchens, Welch, and Braylon Teasley each two base hits to lead Copiah Academy at the plate. Meanwhile, Givens led ACCS at the plate by going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored while Anderson was 2-for-3 with one run scored and Carter was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two stolen bases, and three RBIs — an RBI single in the bottom of the first and a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.

With the split, ACCS improved to 12-10 overall and finished District 4-5A play with a 2-6 record. The Rebels played host to Prentiss Christian School on Monday with the junior varsity game at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 6:30 p.m. Then on Tuesday they traveled to Liberty to take on Amite School Center with the JV game at 4:30 p.m. and the varsity game at 6:30 p.m.

ACCS will be playing in the MAIS Class 5A South State Playoffs with the first round taking place next week.