NATCHEZ — Cathedral High School baseball coach Craig Beesley was worried about his team’s hitting coming into Tuesday night’s four-inning exhibition matchup against Natchez High School.

But the Green Wave tagged the Bulldogs for five hits and took advantage of some costly errors by NHS to get a 6-2 preseason win. Despite the offensive output, Beesley said his players still had some work to do, however.

“The top of the order didn’t hit well tonight,” Beesley said. “The middle of the order, I was pleased with them. We have some people that just need time at the plate, and live pitching will help with that.”

Collin Hammons got the win for Cathedral, going two innings and giving up just one unearned run on two hits while striking out four. Blake Martin went the final two innings for the Green Wave, giving up one unearned run on one hit with five strikeouts.

“Early in the innings, I thought they looked good,” Beesley said. “We’d get the first two outs every inning, and we never could get that third out. That’s just something they need to work on. I thought they lost their concentration a little bit late in the innings.”

For NHS, five errors spoiled what was otherwise a strong outing by starter Derrian Johnson. Johnson went three innings, surrendering four runs and striking out five Green Wave batters. But NHS head coach Skip Golding said his team has a long way to go overall.

“We’re not a very good baseball team (right now),” Golding said. “We’ve got to catch fly balls, we have to make all the routine plays and half of the great plays.”

Golding did say he was impressed with Johnson, who also accounted for both of NHS’s RBIs.

“He’s obviously one of the best athletes here at Natchez High School,” Golding said. “He threw adequately for the first time out against a pretty good baseball team, and obviously at the plate (he did well).”

The Bulldogs scored first in the bottom of the first inning when Johnson singled in Christian Day, who courtesy-ran for Davion Ward after Ward reached base on an error.

Cathedral tied the game 1-1 in the top of the second when Johnson issued a bases-loaded walk to Thomas Garrity that sent home Martin.

Cathedral tacked on three more runs in the top of the third, and NHS made it 4-2 in the bottom half of the frame when Johnson drove Ward home from second.

NHS went to Dominique Salter in the top of the fourth, who surrendered three runs to the Green Wave. Martin pitched a scoreless bottom of the fourth.

Cathedral opens its season at the Classic Games at Loyd Star Saturday. NHS will host a tournament Saturday.