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NATCHEZ — Cathedral completed a series sweep of Adams County Christian School with three crucial hits. They won the first game 8-4 and the second 10-9 Friday.

In the second game, junior Tanner Wimberly had bases loaded with two outs when he stepped to the plate. Cathedral was down a run and needed a base hit to either tie the game or win as a cold drizzle fell.

“I was just thinking ‘I got to be big and get the job done and win,” Wimberly said. “I saw a big ol’ beach ball floating in. It was awesome.”

He smoked a ground ball through the hole between third base and the shortstop to score the winning runs. His teammates celebrated at home before running out to the second base to mob him.

Adams County Christian School took the lead in the top of the seventh inning but could not hang on. It was a tough loss for the Rebels, who let a lead slip away three times in the game.

The Rebels started the game hot out of the gates scoring five runs in the first inning. Cathedral had some trouble early with pitch control and finding the strike zone. Green Wave pitchers issued 11 walks in the game. AC third baseman Crews Marchbanks said they were ready to play.

“I think we were mad enough, and we started to have fun,” Marchbanks said. “When you have fun in baseball, it usually works out.”

Cathedral clawed it’s way back into the game with a four-run second inning. The score would remain 5-5 until the top of the third when AC strung some hits together.

Hayes Marchbanks started the inning off with a double into centerfield. Standing at second, he watched as his brother Crews stepped to the plate and deliver a crucial hit for the Rebels. Crews was down two strikes and fought to an even count, he said.

“Before I got to the at-bat, I felt something cool was about to happen. My body got all warm,” Crews said. “I saw the pitch coming out of his hand was a four-seam. On contact, I thought I would get a base hit. I didn’t see the ball was gone until I got to second. It is the first home run I have ever hit in high school.”

His dad Ryan Marchbanks ran and grabbed the ball. It is now in Crews’s equipment bag. The two-run home run gave AC a 7-5 lead, and they added a run on a single by Conor Aplin that scored DK McGruder.

Cathedral scored two runs in the fifth inning and one run in the sixth to tie the game at 8. AC scored on a bases-loaded walk with two outs but couldn’t do anything with the lead. In the end, a timely hit by Wimberly scored the needed runs for Cathedral.

Earlier in the day, Cathedral took control of the first game in the doubleheader in the first inning as Noah Russ blasted a three-run shot to left-field.

He would add to Cathedral’s lead over AC with a two-run blast to left field in the third inning. Cathedral led 5-2 before scoring their final three runs of the game in the fourth.

“I felt good, and I saw the ball good. I let my bat do the rest of the work,” Russ said. “I’m always a little mad at the ball. It felt good to get the first win of the day. Any win feels good honestly. Getting a win against your cross-town rival feels good. We are ready for the rest of the season and district.”