NATCHEZ — Cathedral softball Gary Blackwell said Lincoln County teams have dominated the Lady Wave in the past.

But he’s looking for that to change later this week when the Lady Wave (19-8) take on Bogue Chitto in the second round of the Class 1A playoffs, he said.

“Our girls have circled this game,” Blackwell said. “I know they’ve been ready for this game — they’ve been talking about it for a while. These Lincoln County teams have been on top of us for a while, and we’re ready to be on top. I feel like it’s our turn.”

Cathedral will host game one on Thursday at 5 p.m. before heading up to Bogue Chitto for game two at 5 p.m. Friday. A game three will be played immediately following game two if needed.

Blackwell called Cathedral’s the matchup against Bogue Chitto the “game of the year,” and said it will feature two very similar teams facing off.

“They’re very athletic and very aggressive, both at the plate and on the basepaths,” Blackwell said. “They have a good coach who always has them ready.

“We’re going to do the same thing, be aggressive at the plate and running the bases. I think it’s going to come down to whoever makes the least amount of errors.”

Having the right mindset will make a huge difference for Cathedral, and Blackwell said his players have shown so far that they can come through no matter what the situation is.

“Our girls have kept their composure throughout the season,” he said. “We can be down, but they never give up and show a lot of resiliency. I think if we can play well in this series and come out with a victory, it will give us a big boost in going all the way.

“They’ve been playing well together as a team, and they pick each other up. I think they’ll be able to stay relaxed. It’s just another game, and we’re going to go out, play hard and have some fun.”

The most likely starter for the Lady Wave Thursday will be Mollie Devening, Blackwell said.

“She’s going to have to hit her spots and throw strikes. They’re probably going to hit the ball, so she’ll also have to rely on her defense. Lately, we’ve been making few errors, and I hope that will continue.”

Having potentially two games on the road this series might seem like a disadvantage, but Blackwell said his girls should be fine if they can get a victory in game one.

“It’s always an advantage to be at home playing, but I think if we can get the first game under our belt, we’ll be fine,” Blackwell said.

“It’s going to be our home field advantage, us getting this first game.”