Put the school supplies on hold and don’t put the baseball equipment up yet. The Natchez Wallace Dixie Youth 11-12 All-Stars are headed for Marshall, Texas and the Dixie Youth World Series after defeating Laurel Thursday to win the Mississippi Dixie Youth Baseball 11-12 state championship.

Laurel would have had to beat Natchez twice to win the championship.

&uot;Our goal from the beginning was to win the state championship and be undefeated,&uot; said Natchez coach David New Jr. &uot;That was the best game we played the whole tournament. They were definitely the toughest team we faced. They had some big kids and their pitcher (John Randall Moore) did a good job. He had a good change-up which we haven’t seen him throw before.&uot;

Natchez, representing Mississippi, will face Georgia in the fourth game of the tournament on Aug. 14 at 6 p.m.

Natchez scored one run in the top of the first as David Alton New III doubled and advanced to third on an error and scored on a single by Benji Maher.

The Wallace All-Stars added a run in the second as Wesley Davis singled and advanced to third on two wild pitches. Davis stole home when Corey Walker walked.

Natchez went up 4-1 in the third as Austin Weeks and Cole Bradford singled and New cleared the bases with his second straight double.

Laurel rallied in the bottom of the third as Poncho Moncilas and Hunter Ford singled to cut the lead to 4-2.

With runners on first and second, Will Thames lined out to New at second and New doubled up the runner on second base to end the threat.

In the fourth inning, Timmy Foster homered to right field.

New walked in the fifth and Maher homered to complete the scoring.

Foster, who struck out a state record 16 batters earlier in the week, fanned 12 in collecting the win Thursday.

It was the fourth straight game a Natchez pitcher had at least 10 strikeouts.

&uot;The boys played well and did a good job on defense,&uot; New said. &uot;They really stepped it up.&uot;

The team is expected back in town at around 1:30 p.m. and will proceed to Duncan Park.

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