MAGEE — In one of the most bizarre plays in the tournament, Craig Bradley scored the championship-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on two throwing errors by West Jasper to give Natchez a 7-6 win.

Natchez went undefeated in claiming the Dixie-Youth Coach Pitch South Regional Tournament championship and will take on Yazoo City in Game 1 of the best-of-three State Championship series Friday at 7 p.m. at Magee.

Game 2 will take place Saturday at 6 p.m. with Game 3, if necessary, to follow at 8 p.m.

“West Jasper played fabulous defensively and they cracked the ball,” Natchez head coach Gary Farmer said. “We stayed in there and fought hard and came out on top. They all got a medal and a big trophy and they went crazy on the field. But they’re tired and they need some rest.”

Bradley hit a ground ball to the West Jasper third baseman, who overthrew the ball to first base. Bradley then rounded second base and headed to third base, and once again West Jasper made another throwing miscue and Bradley scored to end the game and the tournament.

“The winning run was somewhat of a fluke,” Farmer said. “But a win’s a win.”

After a scoreless first inning, Natchez scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning and two more in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. But West Jasper rallied with four runs in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4.

Natchez appeared to have had the game in hand when they scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 6-4 lead, but once again West Jasper, with its season on the line, rallied with two runs in the top of the sixth.

Natchez was unable to score the winning run in the bottom of the sixth and the game went into extra innings.

Both teams had nine hits in the game. Gage Dossett led the way for Natchez by going 3-for-3 with a triple. Craig Bradley and Brock Farmer each had a double.

Natchez 9, Moss Point 2

After getting off to a slow start, the Natchez 9-year-old All-Stars held Moss Point scoreless in the final five innings while three runs in the third inning and five in the fourth en route to a 9-2 win Wednesday afternoon.

With the win, Natchez advanced to the finals against West Jasper. West Jasper advanced to the finals by defeating the Copiah All-Stars 9-6 and knocking them out of the tournament.

“We came out a little flat. I think we overlooked Moss Point and looked ahead to the finals,” Natchez head coach Gary Farmer said.

Moss Point scored two runs in the top of the first inning and then held Natchez scoreless in the bottom of the first inning and to just one run in the bottom of the second.

“The defense figured out they better play defense,” Farmer said. And the defense did just that as Natchez kept Moss Point off the scoreboard the rest of the game.

Natchez’s offense finally woke in the bottom of the third inning with three runs to take the lead for good at 4-2 on a single by Craig Bradley, RBI doubles by Dalvion Jackson and Gage Dossett, and an RBI single by Gabe Smith.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Natchez put the game away with five runs on singles by Jack Dukes, Jacob Jenkins and Lee Ford and a double by Daniel Garrity.