Cathedral survives FC's late comeback bid

In a see-saw baseball affair on Thursday, Feb. 24, Natchez Cathedral and Franklin County had a series of wild scoring swings that saw the visiting team ultimately hold on for a 16-10 victory over the home-standing Bulldogs.

FC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second only to go scoreless for the next three innings while the Green Wave plated three runs in the third, two in the fourth and six in the fifth.
Cathedral padded its advantage with three more runs in the top of the sixth to lead 14-2 before FC rallied to tally seven runs in the bottom of the stanza.

In the seventh inning, Natchez squeezed out two more runs and Franklin saw one cross home plate to end the contest.

In the bottom of the second, FC’s Dakota Chisholm, Jamari Tolliver and Donovan Moore drew back-to-back, two-out walks to load the bases.

A single by Ridge Clanton to right field brought Chisholm and Tolliver home to put the Diamond Dawgs on top, 2-0.

The bottom half of the sixth saw Clanton draw a one-out walk and Dalton Meadows clubbed a ground ball and reached on a Cathedral error.

FC’s Noah McCormick lobbed a double to right field which green-lighted Clanton and Meadows to both score and pull the Bulldogs to within 10 runs of Cathedral’s lead.

Dawson Halford hit a ground ball and reached on a Green Wave error to put runners on the corners.

Larry Pernell then drew a walk that loaded the bases before Chisholm singled to bring McCormick home and kept the bags filled.

Tolliver blasted a triple to center that brought all three FC baserunners home and cut the Cathedral lead to seven, 14-8.

A follow-up single by Moore plated Tolliver for a ninth run before the side was retired to complete the sixth inning.

The final frame saw Meadows lead off with a double to left with McCormick and Quez Rancifer earning follow-up walks to load the bases before the rain started to fall.

Pernell was hit by a Cathedral pitch, which pushed Meadows across home plate for Franklin’s 10th and final run.

The Bulldogs pounded out 11 hits in the outing with Moore and Meadows both going 2-for-4 while McCormick was 2-for-3.

Clanton, Rancifer, Pernell, Chisholm and Tolliver all had one hit each.

Scoring two runs each were Meadows, Chisholm and Tolliver.

Clanton, McCormick, Halford and Pernell each came home once.

Tolliver led the Bulldogs with three RBIs while Clanton and McCormick had two apiece and Moore, Pernell and Chisholm recorded one each.

The Bulldogs’ bullpen stayed busy with five pitchers taking the mound against the Green Wave — surrendering 16 runs on 16 hits with 15 earned runs, six strikeouts and 13 walks.

Clanton worked two-and-two-thirds innings and threw 55 pitches.

He gave up three runs on six hits (with three earned runs), a strikeout and three walks.

Moore battled a third of an inning on the mound and allowed two runs (both earned) on no hits. He also walked two Cathedral batters.

McCormick went in and tossed for one-and-a-third innings where he allowed five runs (all of them earned) on four hits combined with four walks.

Peyton Hebert came in to battle for one-and-two-thirds innings where he permitted five hits and four runs (three of those earned) while striking out two and walking three.

In one inning, Meadows came on to throw and gave up a hit and two runs (both earned) while striking out three and walking one.

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ON DECK

Franklin County is set to return to action at 5:45 p.m., Saturday, March 5 and will face Lawrence County in the Lincoln County Tournament played at Bogue Chitto.

On Tuesday, March 8, the Diamond Dawgs will travel to Hazlehurst.

Editor’s note: Games are subject to change due to weather or team cancellations.