NATCHEZ — After winning Game 1 of its playoff series against Pelahatchie High School in convincing fashion, Cathedral High School was looking to avoid a letdown in Game 2 Saturday.

A good approach at the plate, solid pitching and strong defense allow Cathedral to do just that in the third round of the MHSAA Class 1A South State playoffs.

Starter Caleb Upton pitched a shutout, and the Cathedral bats tallied six runs on six hits to take Game 2, 6-0. Cathedral scored all six of its runs in the first three innings of play, then relied on Upton and the defense the rest of the way through.

“We had some good at-bats early in the game,” Cathedral head coach Craig Beesley said. “It looks like we sleepwalked a little bit in the later innings, but I feel good about our pitching and defense.”

Upton gave up just four hits and didn’t walk a single batter. He also had five strikeouts.

“I felt like he could get the complete game, because he was only at 72 pitches in the sixth,” Beesley said. “He’s had some good outings lately. The way the pitching has gone in the last few weeks, I feel good about our chances.”

Upton was quick to credit his defense, however.

“I felt good. It was mostly the defensive plays behind me that got me through,” Upton said. “I didn’t get many strikeouts, and I had a little bit of trouble in a couple of innings, but the defense bailed me out.”

Left fielder Blake Martin made a good play on a foul ball only a few feet from the left field wall, but right fielder Turner Janette had the defensive highlight of the game for Cathedral. With a runner on, Janette made a great catch on a ball over his head that kept the runner from scoring.

“I just know that when those balls are in the air, there’s a good felling they’ll come down with it,” Upton said.

Beesley was also complimentary of his defense, saying the outfield alignment of Martin, Thomas Garrity and Janette is very strong defensively.

“That’s our best outfield when Blake is out there,” Beesley said. “There’s a lot of speed, and they can go get them.”

Cathedral scored its first run in the bottom of the first when Garrity came home on a wild pitch. Martin came around to score on a double by Collin Hammons, making it 2-0 Cathedral.

The Green Wave added a run in the bottom of the second when courtesy runner Hayden Nunnery came home on a bases-loaded walk by Kyle Bradley.

A single by Daniel Huffines in the bottom of the third inning was stretched into a triple on an error in the outfield. Colton Webb scored from first on the play. Later in the inning, a single by Upton scored Huffines and Garrity, giving Cathedral a 6-0 lead.

Zac Varner got the loss for Pelahatchie, lasting just 1 2/3 innings and giving up two runs on two hits and three walks. Mitchell Taggert relieved Varner, yielding four runs on three hits in 3 1/3 innings. Erick Hoard pitched the bottom of the sixth for Pelahatchie, retiring all three batters he faced.

Cathedral rose to 16-7 on the season and will play in the Class 1A South State championship series this week.