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VICKSBURG — After holding on for a 4-3 win at home last Tuesday, Cathedral High School took a one-game lead over St. Aloysius High School heading into the two teams’ varsity doubleheader at St. Al with the MAIS District 4-5A championship on the line.

A win by Cathedral in either game and the Green Wave would be crowned district champions. But if St. Aloysius won both games, then the rival Flashes would be district champs. On a perfect late afternoon last Friday, the home team would not be denied.

Keller Bradley was a force for the Flashes both on the mound and at the plate as they needed just five innings to win the opener 11-1 and in the nightcap the rallied from an early six-run deficit to defeat the Green Wave 14-9V to finish one came ahead of Cathedral and head into next week’s Class 5A South State Playoffs as District 4-5A champions.

Cathedral head coach Andrew Beesley was hoping that his team would not be nervous or tight with so much at stake for the visiting Green Wave from Natchez. He was also looking for his team to carry the momentum over after winning the first game of this three-game series into Friday’s twin-bill.

Instead, Game 1 of the varsity doubleheader was all St. Aloysius. After Bradley retired the side in shutout fashion in the top of the first inning, the Flashes gave him all the run support he really needed in the bottom of the first inning after plating four runs.

Bradley went all five innings and gave up one earned run on one hit with seven strikeouts, one walk, and one hit batter.

Walt Andrews and Clark Hobson each had a run-scoring groundout while Evan Mallard and Pierson Smith each walked in a run for and just like that it was 4-0. Cathedral scored its only run of the opener in the top of the second inning. Landon French was the only player for the Green Wave to get a base hit off Bradley. French went 1-for-1 with two stolen bases.

Green Wave starting pitcher Owen Jordan was charged with the loss after a rough outing. He lasted just one and one-third innings and gave up four runs, three of them earned, on just one hit, but also six walks and one hit batter with no strikeouts.

Eli Wilson came on in relief and he, too, struggled mightily against the Flashes’ prolific line-up. He went two and two-thirds innings and allowed six runs, all of them earned, on five hits with one strikeout, no walks, and three hit batters. Andy Keith came in to try to keep the game going, but in his one-third of an inning he gave up one earned run, walked two, and hit one batter.

After being held scoreless in the bottom of the second and third innings, St. Aloysius would end the game early after scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and four runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Game 2 saw Cathedral get off to a much better start as the Green Wave scored six runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a couple of base hits, a pair of walks, and a sacrifice fly. Ethan Keith singled in two runs, Owen Jordan drew a walk to bring in one run, Walker Probst singled in one run, Houston Edwards walked to score one run, and Landon French’s sacrifice was deep enough in the outfield to score one run.

But when Walt Andrews came on in relief of struggling stating pitcher Carson Smith, that seemed to settle down St. Aloysius not only on the mound, but also when the Flashes came to bat.

Smith lasted just one-third of an inning and gave up six runs, all of them earned, on four hits with one strikeout and four walks. Andrews ended up being the winning pitcher after limiting the Green Wave to just two runs, one of them earned, on just one hit with one strikeout and three walks.

After St. Al cut the Green Wave’s lead in half with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Flashes used a four-run rally in the bottom of the second to take the lead for good at 7-6. Even though Smith was pulled from the mound early, it did not bother him at the plate when they needed him. With the bases loaded, Smith doubled to clear the bases while a passed ball allowed Smith to score the go-ahead run.

The Flashes brought in three runs in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to 10-6. Keller Bradley and Clark Hobson had the key base hits with each of them delivering RBI singles.

Cathedral tried to get back in the game in the top of the fourth inning after scoring two runs off Andrews in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 10-8 game. But with Andrews struggling to throw strikes, his time on the mound was over and in came Laken Bradley to thwart the Green Wave’s attempted comeback.

Laken Bradley went the final three and two-thirds innings and limited the Green Wave to one earned run, that in the top of the fifth inning, on two hits with three strikeouts and just one walk.

After Laken got St. Al out of trouble in the top of the fourth, the Flashes scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 14-8. Laken Bradley also went 2-for-3 with a double, four runs scored, one walk, and was hit by a pitch once while Keller Bradley was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, four run scored, and was walked twice.

As a team, the Flashes ended up with 11 base hits. Smith went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, three runs scored, and was walked twice while Hobson was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, one walk, one stolen base, and was hit by a pitch once.

Probst led Cathedral at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI, and one run scored. French had a double to go with his RBI sac fly.

With the two losses, Cathedral fell to 13-11 overall and finished in second place in District 4-5A with a 5-4 record. The Green Wave traveled to Hattiesburg to take on MHSAA Class 6A Hattiesburg High School for a varsity-only game at 5 p.m. Monday. This is part of a two-game series with the Tigers to get ready for the first round of the Class 5A South State Playoffs, which take place next week.

Cathedral will take on the third-place team from District 3-5A in Round 1. Whichever team that is will host Game 1 while the Green Wave will play host to Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3 at Chester Willis Field at days and times to be determined. Coach Beesley said that team will probably be Parklane Academy.