NATCHEZ — Coming off a crushing loss to Wesson on Friday night, the Natchez 12-year-old All-Stars needed a good performance to get back on their feet. Scotty Floyd came to the rescue.

Floyd pitched five innings for Natchez and allowed only two runs, giving them the steadying influence they needed in a 9-2 victory over Lincoln County in an elimination game Saturday night at Duncan Park.

“I can’t say enough about how well Scotty Floyd pitched tonight,” Natchez coach Bruce Ross said. “He was the key to our victory. He threw strikes and didn’t allow Lincoln County’s big hitters to hurt us.”

With the win, Natchez advances to the championship game of the sub-district tournament against Wesson Monday night at Carrol Jones Field at Duncan Park.

Natchez will need to beat Wesson twice to win the tournament. The first game will start at 6 p.m. with the if-necessary second game beginning at approximately 8 p.m.

After Friday’s game, which Natchez lost 7-4 on a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth, Natchez might have come out flat in Saturday’s game. However, that wasn’t the case.

“We didn’t have a letdown,” Ross said. “We came out and played well from the beginning of the game.”

Lincoln County got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning when Newt Riley blooped in an RBI single, but Natchez tied the score in the top of the third on a Tyler Buckles triple that scored Lee Jackson.

Lincoln County took the lead again in the bottom of the third on a Heath Hickman RBI single but Natchez came right back in the top of the fourth with two runs to take the lead for good.

Chris Guedon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the first run of the inning and Devon McDaniel hit a sacrifice fly for what turned out to be the eventual winning run.

Natchez blew the game open in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs without the benefit of a hit.

Back-to-back errors by the Lincoln County shortstop on balls hit by Brandon Ross and Thomas Carey plated four runs which made the score 7-2.

Natchez added on in the top of the sixth when McDaniel hit a two-run single.

“(Winning tonight) is a relief,” Ross said.

“These are a gritty bunch of players. The emotions are running a little bit nicer tonight.”