NATCHEZ &045; You don’t have to tell anyone with the Adams Christian baseball team what time of year it is right now.

It’s time to show up at the park ready to play every game. It’s time to find a groove at the plate. It’s time to take every game seriously no matter the opponent’s record.

But come to the park ready, and only good things can happen &045; like Tuesday’s 17-4 win over Central Hinds in five innings.

&uot;(Last year) some games we came out like it was practice,&uot; said junior Timmy Foster, who had four hits in four at-bats. &uot;This year I think we’re more focused on what we want. We’ve been practicing hard. We’re ready for the playoffs. We want to make a statement this year.&uot;

That’s been the case in recent weeks for the Rebels, who haven’t lost since a March 14 defeat at the hands of Porter’s Chapel. The win streak reached nine Tuesday heading into Friday’s game at Central Hinds and next week’s series with a tough Prairie View Academy team that should settle the District 3-AA championship.

One game at a time, Foster said.

&uot;I think we’re kind of feeling it right now,&uot; Adams head coach Gill Morris said. &uot;I think we’re real focused. We have a lot of confidence and come ready to play. I hope that will continue because up-and-down ball clubs are what drive coaches crazy. We’re just really focused right now.&uot;

That was evident Tuesday as they hit just about every pitch Cougar pitchers put up there in their four innings at the plate. The Rebels slammed 16 hits, sent at least eight batters to the plate each inning and had the top four hitters go a combined 11 for 15 at the plate.

No one struck out, and only seven times in 29 plate appearances did the Rebels face a two-strike count.

&uot;They swing the bats &045; I don’t care what we threw up there,&uot; Central Hinds head coach Roy Welch said. &uot;We threw everything up there. They ought to be good &045; they came down from triple-A. We knew they were going to be good. We didn’t know they were going to hit the baseball that good, though.&uot;

The top of the lineup gave Central Hinds pitchers the toughest greeting, and Foster led the way with seven runs batted in with two singles, a double and a triple. The junior with perhaps the hottest bat on the team did everything but put it out the yard &045; something he did four times in a doubleheader Saturday.

Teams may be catching on and giving him tougher pitches to hit, but Foster is still finding a way to wreak havoc.

He tripled in two runs in the fourth when the wind took a fly ball in center that twisted up Central Hinds centerfielder Billy Bishop.

&uot;I’m seeing the ball better,&uot; Foster said. &uot;I’m seeing the ball real well right now. Hopefully it’ll stay like that. They’re just pitching to me right now. Maybe later on they’ll start pitching away from me. That’s their decision. When they do that, you’ve got to hit what you’ve got to hit.&uot;

The Rebels set the tone early with a four-run first off CHA starter Andrew Parrish, who didn’t get an out until five-hole hitter Dustin Case flied out to center.

The Rebels sent nine men to the plate and followed that with another four-run inning in the second with Foster driving in Cole Bradford and David Trisler with a double.

Nick Bethany then entered in relief and at least stopped the bleeding despite Jamie Morris singling, getting to third on an error and being left there.

&uot;This was (Parrish’s) first game to throw,&uot; Welch said. &uot;He’s a junior, and we don’t have a lot of seniors. We’re playing some young kids. But we knew we had a tough ball game. They’ve been getting on everybody.&uot;

The Rebels had five in the third and four in the fourth. Trisler singled in a run in the third for third RBI of the game, and he doubled in the fourth before scoring on Foster’s triple.

&uot;We’re coming out aggressive at the plate,&uot; Gill Morris said. &uot;It’s not hard to tell whether or not our team is focused. If they’re not focused, they’ll look at that fastball.

&uot;When they’re focused, they’re in attack mode &045; like a shark frenzy. We’ve been in that attack mode the last five or six games, and that’s where we need to stay.&uot;

The Cougars struggled at the plate against Foster but came up big in their last at-bat after the Rebels made three errors to prolong the inning.

Daniel Mills reached on a fielder’s choice before Bishop and Nick Bethany reached base to load the bases.

Jason Leist sent the first pitch he saw from Foster over the fence in left for a grand slam.

&uot;I’m glad the kids came back and scored those four runs,&uot; Welch said. &uot;They won’t do that &045; they won’t quit. That’s going to pay off for them next year.&uot;