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NATCHEZ — Noah Russ pitched six solid innings and Jake Maples had three base hits, including a pair of run-scoring extra-base hits as the Cathedral High School Green Wave defeated the Copiah Academy Colonels 10-2 last Tuesday afternoon at Chester Willis Field in the first game of a key three-game MAIS District 3-5A series between the two teams.

Russ got the win on the mound for Cathedral after holding a good Copiah Academy team to just two runs, both of them earned, on four hits to go with eight strikeouts and six walks. Green Wave head coach Andrew Beesley described Russ’s outing as “effectively wild.”

“They’re a good team, but Noah’s pretty good as well. He had some good stuff (Tuesday) night,” Beesley said. “I didn’t think he had his best command, but he was able to get around that and get outs.”

The game started as a pitcher’s duel between Russ and Copiah Academy starting pitcher Trey Wood. The game remained scoreless for the first two and a half innings and then the Green Wave’s bats came alive in a big way in the bottom of the third innings.

Wood was only able to get one out in that frame and was pulled after giving up six runs, all of them earned, on five hits with one strikeout, two walks, and one hit batter over two and one-third innings.

In the bottom of the third, Cathedral got a two-run triple from Jackson Navarro and RBI doubles from Russ, Jake Maples, and Jacob Smith. The Green Wave ended scoring seven runs for a 7-0 lead. They scored another run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI triple by Maples.

“We had some big hits from just about everyone in the line-up. Jake had three hits (Tuesday) night. He’s been seeing the ball well lately. Noah Russ is, too. He went 2-for-3. They’re hitting the ball well for us in the middle of the line-up. They’re our No. 4 and No. 5 batters in the line-up. They’re really giving us some good at-bats.”

Maples ended up going 3-for-4 and Smith finished 2-for-4. With Russ going 2-for-3, the trio combined for seven of the Green Wave’s nine base hits.

Brennan Thomas had a double for Copiah Academy, which ended up with five total base hits. The Colonels scored their only two runs in the top of the fifth inning to make it an 8-2 game, but the Green Wave answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“It was a big win. We’re trying to compete for second place between us and Copiah,” Beesley said. “We’re getting a taste of winning big games and expecting to win big games. St. Joe Madison’s leading right now. They’re 11-2 right now and it’s going to be tough for anyone to catch them.”

Cathedral (20-4, 9-4) traveled to Gallman to take on Copiah Academy last Thursday with the junior varsity game at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 6 p.m.