NATCHEZ &045; How’s the baseball clich go &045; a double play is a pitcher’s best friend?

Don’t count out a summer league coach. He’d give it a big hug if he could.

Wesson turned in two double plays Sunday in the championship of the Trinity summer tournament, something that’s old hat for a team that did it all spring for the Cobras en route to setting a national record for most double plays in a season.

This summer’s Wesson team &045; nicknamed the Millers &045; used solid defense and timely hits in its last at-bat to down Franklin 6-3 for the big trophy.

Wesson beat Huntington 11-5 earlier to get to the championship.

&uot;They had the most in the nation this past year,&uot; Millers coach Justin Smith said. &uot;One (infielder) is a senior who graduated but is still playing with us, our second baseman will be a senior and our third baseman will be a junior. We’re still pretty young. I just let them play. I don’t coach that much.&uot;

The Cobras set a mark during the regular season when they turned 36 double plays to shatter the old mark of 32, set by a team in Mississippi. On Sunday the Millers turned two sweet double plays &045; one that ended a Franklin rally when the Cougars had runners on first and second with one out.

The other ended the fourth in a same situation for the Cougars.

&uot;We were going for (the record),&uot; second baseman Brandon Hood said. &uot;The infield got to it quick and rolled it quick. Everybody was quick with the ball. We’ve got a pretty solid infield, and we’re young. We just lost our first baseman this year, but we have our shortstop, third baseman and me coming back.&uot;

The double plays marked a day of frustration at the plate for the Cougars, who left seven on base in the five-inning contest even with the two double plays. They got all three runs in the third inning and had the lead until the fifth before the Millers rallied for four runs with two outs to take the lead.

In the Cougars’ final at-bat, they loaded the bases with two outs when Chad Sheppard reached on an error, Caleb Haring singled to left and Devin Evans walked. But Jake Wright flied out to third base to end the game.

&uot;It was off and on (hitting this weekend),&uot; Franklin head coach Ryan Ellington said. &uot;We started out slow. These last couple of games we came back and hit a little better. It was a good game. Hat’s off to those guys. They had a couple of key hits and won the ball game.&uot;

The Millers had the key hits in the fifth inning when they were down to their last out and down by a run. Hood had walked to lead off the inning against Franklin reliever Caleb Haring before the next two batters were retired, but Corey Puckett slapped a single to keep the inning alive.

Daniel Watson drove in Hood to tie it up, and Haring walked Wade Williams to load the bases. Then a pitch got away from catcher Mark Wright to allow Puckett to score, but the throw back to Haring at the plate went wild and allowed Watson to score for a 5-3 lead.

&uot;That’s all it took,&uot; Smith said. &uot;Just a couple of key hits here and a missed throw there, and we’re back in it and on top. We’ve been hitting the ball well the whole tournament except for the first game (2-1 loss to Brookhaven).&uot;

Haring then gave up a single to Mason Warren that drove in Williams, and Ellington pulled the tall sophomore for Oliver, who got the final out when Brian Channell grounded out to short.

Haring was in relief for Zach Jones, a Tensas Academy pitcher who allowed four hits and two runs through four.

&uot;He (Haring) was having trouble finding the plate there, and the kids got a couple of hits,&uot; Ellington said. &uot;We were facing the heart of their order, and the heart of their order did their job. They came through for the team.

&uot;Zach Jones did a heck of a job. Caleb threw a little in high school ball for us, and he pitched in a ball game Thursday night and threw about 80 pitches. He needs four or five days rest to come back. We tried to bring him back on short rest, and he needed a little more rest. He did the best he could.&uot;

The Cougars took the lead in the third when Cuyler Martin and Chad Sheppard each came up with doubles off Puckett to drive in runs to tie the score at 2-2. Haring then singled in Sheppard for the 3-2 lead.

But after that Puckett &045; who threw four innings in the Millers’ first game Sunday &045; remained steady on the mound. That double play ended the fourth inning after Jake Wright led off with a single, and the defense behind Puckett did their job.

&uot;It’s all up to him,&uot; Smith said. &uot;I don’t know what it is. He’s good, though.&uot;

The double plays surely helped.

&uot;It helps the pitcher a bunch,&uot; Hood said. &uot;Our coach has a lot of confidence in us. He kept us back and let us roll it.&uot;