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BROOKHAVEN — Natchez High School head baseball coach Dan Smith was looking for his Bulldogs to play with the same kind of energy and effort they had in a tough loss at home last Tuesday afternoon to Brookhaven High School when they traveled to east on U.S. Highway 84 to take on the Panthers last Friday afternoon in an MHSAA Region 3-5A varsity doubleheader.

Instead, it looked like Natchez High left its offense back at Chester Willis Field as the Bulldogs were shut out by the Brookhaven High Panthers 13-0 in just four innings in Game 1 and then 9-0 in Game 2 after the home team surprisingly left its foot off the gas.

In the opener, Mason Bouldin got the start for the Bulldogs and held Brookhaven High to just two runs over the first two innings. And those two runs were in the bottom of the first inning. Problem was, Natchez High couldn’t get anything going against Panthers Game 1 starting pitcher Brayden Wilson.

The Panthers’ bats woke up in a big way in the bottom of the third inning as they scored 11 runs with the majority of their 10 hits taking place in that frame. Wilson preserved the shutout win in the top of the fourth inning to end that game very early. Wilson allowed just two base hits – a double by Bouldin and a single by Chris Sewell – while striking out six batters, walking two batter, and hitting one batter over four innings to get the win. Bouldin went 1-for-1 and was hit by a pitch once while Sewell was 1-for-2.

At the plate, Brookhaven High was led by Griffin Smith, who went 2-for-2 with a double, one run batted in, and one run scored. Durrell Washington had a triple and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored while Demetricus Nelson was 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI, and three runs scored. Wilson helped his own cause by going 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, and one stolen base.

The nightcap belonged to Panthers starting pitcher Dreamus Harron, who pitched a complete-game one-hitter with 11 strikeouts while walking just two batters. Sewell had the only base hit for the Bulldogs and went 1-for-3. JaCori Davis and Draylen Scott each drew a walk.

Brookhaven jumped on Bulldogs starting pitcher Braylon McDaniel, especially in the first two innings, when the Panthers scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and three runs in the bottom of the second for a 7-0 lead.

Yet despite the rough start and getting no help from the offense, McDaniel persevered and held the home team to just two runs over the final four innings. He went six innings and gave up nine runs, only four of them earned, on six hits with five strikeouts, five walks, and two hit batters.

Half of the Panthers’ six base hits did go for extra bases. Nelson went 2-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs, two runs scored, was hit by a pitch once, and had one stolen base. Smith also had a triple while Andrew Barnes had a double.

With Brookhaven High completing the three-game series sweep, the Panthers finished in fourth place and earned a berth in the MHSAA Class 5A South State Playoffs, with Round 1 taking place later this month.

Meanwhile, Natchez High finished its 2025 season at 7-17 overall and 0-12 in Region 3-5A. After winning the Region 6-5A title and making the playoffs in 2021, this will be the fourth straight year that the Bulldogs have failed to qualify for the Class 5A Playoffs.