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NATCHEZ — Kris Rogillio pitched four solid innings while Zayne Landry went 3-for-4 with two triples as the Silliman Institute Wildcats used two big innings to defeat the Cathedral High School Green Wave 16-5 last Tuesday afternoon at Chester Willis Field in the first round of the MAIS Class 5A South State Playoffs.

Rogillio allowed four runs, two of them earned, on six hits with four strikeouts, just one walk, and two hit batters over four innings. He kept District 3 No. 3 seed Cathedral’s bats at bay and kept the Green Wave off the scoreboard over the first two innings.

Meanwhile, District 4 No. 2 seed Silliman gave Rogillio all the run support he needed in the first two innings. The Wildcats jumped on starting pitcher Noah Russ for five runs in the top of the first inning and two more runs in the top of the second for a 7-0 lead.

Even though the Green Wave cut into the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third inning, head coach Andrew Beesley was not at all thrilled with how they showed up to face a team he thought his team could beat at home and put the pressure on the Wildcats.

“I was really disappointed in how our team showed up to play. I didn’t feel like they wanted to play,” Beesley said. “That puts us in a whole Friday, having to win two games (down) there.”

Russ pitched six innings and allowed 10 runs, five of them earned, on seven hits, two walks and three hit batters. He also struck out eight batters.

Both teams scored one run in the fourth inning to make it an 8-4 game in Silliman’s favor, but Cathedral made it an 8-5 game thanks to one run in the bottom of the fifth. However, the Wildcats responded with two runs in the top of the sixth inning and six runs in the top of the seventh.

The tandem of Russ and Josh Ingram led the Green Wave at the plate. Russ went 2-for-4 with a triple and Ingram went 2-for-4 with two doubles. Owen Fudge was the only other multiple hitter for Silliman as he went 3-for-4.

Cathedral (20-6) plays at Silliman Institute for Game 2 of this best-of-three series at 4:30 p.m. Friday. If the Green Wave wins, a third game will be necessary following the conclusion of Game 2.