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NATCHEZ — For the second time in three games, it looked like Cathedral High School’s varsity baseball team was about to blow an early lead and end up with another loss with the playoffs right around the corner.

The first one cost the Green Wave the MAIS District 4-5A championship when they jumped out to a 6-0 lead only to fall to rival St. Aloysius 14-9 in Game 2 of a varsity doubleheader on Friday, April 11 that gave the Flashes the district title.

Last Wednesday afternoon, Cathedral was looking to end a three-game losing streak when it played host to MHSAA Class 6A Hattiesburg High School at Chester Willis Field. The Green Wave was also seeking to avenge an 8-5 loss to the Tigers last Monday afternoon.

This time, the Green Wave led 3-0 after three innings of play only to see the Tigers take the lead on an Amari Hill single in the top of the sixth inning. But in the bottom of the sixth, Tristan Fondren hit a run-scoring single and Doug Smith was hit by a pitch to bring in what turned out to be the game-winning run to give Cathedral a hard-fought 6-5 win over Hattiesburg.

After a scoreless first inning, the Green Wave struck first in the bottom of the second inning off reliever Andrew Jordan when Houston Edwards grounded out, allowing one run to score. Then they extended their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning when Ethan Keith hit an RBI single to right field and Owen Jordan grounded into a run-scoring double play.

Jordan was pulled after giving up those two runs without recording an out in the bottom of the third. Hill came on and retired the side without any further damage in the Green Wave’s half of the third and that allowed Hattiesburg to eventually put up a rally.

Joe Polk got the start on the mound for the Tigers and pitched just the first inning. He gave up one base hit and hit one batter. He even threw two wild pitches, but somehow he pitched himself out of trouble before being pulled.

Hattiesburg scored one run in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 3-1 game. Hill came on in relief and threw just 55 pitches in four innings with 36 of them for strikes. The Tigers tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth when Polk hit an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ramarion Wilson.

Hill ended up being charged with the loss after allowing two runs, both of them earned, on five hits with two walks and one hit batter.

Ethan Keith was the winning pitcher for Cathedral. He came on in relief of Doug Smith and gave up no runs on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Smith gave up the Tigers’ go-ahead run in the top of the sixth before the Green Wave rallied in the home half of the sixth. In his two-thirds of an inning, Smith allowed one earned run on no hits with one walk and two hit batters.

Landon French got the start on the mound for the Green Wave. He went four and two-thirds of an inning and gave up three runs, two of them earned, on three hits with three strikeouts, two walks, and two hit batters.

The Tigers’ Tyler Weatherspoon was the only multiple hitter for either team as he went 3-for-3. For the Green Wave, both Smith and Walker Probst went 1-for-2. Edwards, Fondren, French, Jordan, and Keith each went 1-for-3.

With the win, Cathedral finished its regular season with a 14-12 record. Next up for the District 4-5A runner-up and No. 2 seed Green Wave is the 2025 MAIS Class 5A South State Playoffs. They will take on District 3-5A No. 3 seed Parklane Academy in the first round. Game 1 will be played at Parklane Academy on Tuesday, April 22 at 6 p.m. Then the best-of-three series will shift back to Chester Willis Field in Natchez at the end of next week. Game 2 will be at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 25. If there is a Game 3, that game is scheduled to take place that Friday at 7 p.m.