GLOSTER — The Natchez Dixie Youth 9-year-old All-Stars didn’t play their best game, but it was still plenty enough to defeat Walthall and advance to the championship game of the sub-district tournament.

Natchez scored nine runs in the first three innings of the game and went on to an 11-1 victory in five innings.

With the win, Natchez advances to the championship game on Saturday, where they will play the winner of tonight’s game between McComb and Walthall.

Whichever teams advances from that game must beat Natchez twice on Saturday to win the sub-district championship.

“We didn’t hit the ball as well as we have been,” Natchez coach Gary Farmer said of Thursday’s win over Walthall. “We used a lot of small ball. Jace Calcotte had two great bunts, one to score a run that ended the game.”

Natchez also got a great pitching performance from Craig Bradley, who tossed a complete game two-hitter and struck out 10 Walthall batters.

“That’s about the best pitching performance you’ll see from a 9-year-old,” Farmer said. “He pitched an outstanding game.”

Dalvion Jackson was 2-for-3 with a double for Natchez while Reed White also had a double.

Natchez has now outscored its opponents by a combined score of 54-3 in its three tournament games.