MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. &045; The first inning wasn’t even in the books, and the Natchez 13-year-old All-Stars found out how quickly a game can turn around at this level.

Crosby, Texas, jumped out to a 7-0 lead after one in the first game Thursday morning at the Dixie Boys Junior World Series before taking an 11-3 win over Natchez. In the nightcap, Natchez fared better but couldn’t get a key hit late before falling 3-2 to host team Muscle Shoals.

That puts Natchez out of contention for bracket play heading into its final game of pool play at 9 a.m. today against North Roanoke, also out of pool play with two losses Thursday.

&uot;Just too much environment for these kids,&uot; Natchez head coach Mike Lazarus said. &uot;We haven’t hit the ball since we’ve been up here. I guess you’ve got to be here a time or two to do well up here. But we’re having fun. I told them we’ll turn them loose (for today’s game) and let kids start who have never got to start. We’ll have a good time.&uot;

The second game may have been harder to swallow since the All-Stars played better defensively and had good pitching but couldn’t get the run across. Muscle Shoals took a 3-0 lead after three before Natchez tacked on a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings.

In the fifth, Natchez got its run when R.J. Fleming singled and later scored when Caleb Johnson doubled off the fence.

But Johnson was left at third as the next two batters went strikeout and groundout to end the inning. The game was called after five innings due to the one-hour, 45-minute time limit.

&uot;They really hit the ball,&uot; Lazarus said of Muscle Shoals. &uot;We hung with them, and all of a sudden it was 3-2. We left the bases loaded four or five times today. We took too many pitches. We were looking to walk, and there we’d go &045; we’d get rung up. I hate to make excuses, but we’re not hitting the ball.&uot;

Muscle Shoals got two in the first off Aaron White and tacked on another in the third. White pitched well in three innings of work, and Colin Dollar went two scoreless after that.

Natchez had just four hits in the contest off three Muscle Shoals pitchers. Natchez got a run in the fourth when Audie Crosby singled and later scored on a Cole Mann single.

The first game, however, things fell apart in a hurry for Natchez as Crosby put up seven runs on four hits and five errors. Mann got the start but lasted only an inning before White and Dollar each pitched two innings.

Crosby tacked on four in the third with two coming on Cori Langley’s triple.

&uot;Cole pitched fine,&uot; Lazarus said. &uot;Everything they hit, they hit well and hard. And we made some errors. Texas came out ready to swing the bat. They were swinging at the first pitch whether it was high or outside. They put the bat on it. They believe in swinging the bat.&uot;

Natchez fell behind 11-0 before scoring a run in fourth and two in the fifth. Dollar doubled in the fourth and scored when Kent King reached on an error for the first run.

In the fifth, Luke Wilson and Crosby each walked and came around to score.