LAUREL — The hardest fought battle doesn’t always go your way, and the Natchez 12s left the ballpark Monday night pretty down on themselves, coach Gus Perry said.

But despite a 9-7 loss in Dixie Youth Major Leauge South Regional Tournament play, the boys had nothing to be upset over, Perry said.

“Each one of them feels like they did something wrong,” he said. “But they didn’t. It was just a hard fought game.”

Natchez led through five, scoring big early with six runs in the first inning. Laurel tied things up in the sixth inning, and Natchez couldn’t recover.

“It was a great ball game,” Perry said. “Daniel Huffines pitched a great game. He went seven innings, and you couldn’t ask for a better ball game from a boy.”

Huffines helped himself at the plate with a home run, and Christopher Perry hit a two RBI shot soon after.

Sam Fury did his job in the outfield, snagging what should have been a home run in left field in the fourth inning.

“We’d pulled him over against the fence,” Perry said. “That catch robbed him of a home run, and Sam made a great play to get us out of the inning.”

Natchez will face Petal tonight at 6 in Laurel. The winner will play again for the title.

Laurel is still undefeated in the tournament.

The winner of South State will play in Laurel Friday and Saturday for the state title.