NATCHEZ — If there was any question as to whether St. Aloysius would crumble under the pressure of a second round playoff series against their archrivals on the road, it was answered almost as soon as they got off the bus.

The free-swinging Flashes pounded out 11 hits and 12 runs in just the first three innings of a 15-6 rout of Cathedral in game one of the Class 1A second round playoff series.

The loss was Cathedral’s first of the year and puts the Green Wave one game away from elimination. Game two of the series is at 6 p.m. today in Vicksburg.

“We just didn’t come out focused,” Cathedral coach Craig Beesley said. “It looked like we weren’t ready to play. We really can’t play any worse than we played (Thursday night).”

St. Al came out with bats blazing in the first three innings. They scored two runs in the first inning on a Sean Weaver single and pass ball and added four more in the second thanks to a run-scoring single by Ryno Martin-nez and Weaver’s three-run triple.

Green Wave starting pitcher Preston Edwards was chased out in the third inning after allowing an RBI double to Pierson Waring.

Edwards gave up seven hits and walked four in his two-plus innings of work.

“He couldn’t get ahead in the count,” Beesley said of his ace. “He had trouble finding the plate and then would miss his location when he got it in the zone. And they didn’t miss it. They are a very good hitting ball club.”

St. Al coach Clint Wilkerson said his team came ready to swing the bats on Thursday.

“That’s the way we do things — we get off,” Wilkerson said. “Our mindset is to swing the bats, and that’s got to continue.”

Tyler Morrison came in after Edwards departed and gave up a two-run single to Blake Haygood and a three-run homer to Corey Jones.

Cole Mann then came in and pitched the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing three unearned runs in the seventh.

But while the Flashes were pounding out hits and runs against Green Wave pitchers, Cathedral couldn’t get much of anything going against St. Al starter Stephen Evans.

Evans struggled in the second inning, allowing three runs on four walks and a bloop single by Edwards, but pitched masterfully otherwise, allowing four runs on just four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

He also recorded eight strikeouts, most on a slow curve ball that Green Wave hitters had trouble laying off of.

“He’s a good pitcher and has beaten a lot of good teams this year,” Wilkerson said of his starter. “He fills up the zone and can throw several different pitches for strikes. He shut a good-hitting team down tonight.”

Edwards was one of the few bright spots at the plate for the Green Wave. He hit two triples and drove in three of the six Cathedral runs.

Cole Mann and Hunter Foster also had RBI hits for the Green Wave in the losing effort.

But while St. Al was dominant on Thursday, both coaches know it will be a different game when the two rivals square off tonight in Vicksburg.

“They can’t take those 10 runs with them,” Beesley said. “Tomorrow is a different game. We’re not out of it. We’ve got to get focused and play a good game.”