PORT GIBSON &045; So a case of jitters was there.

At this stage of the summer it’s really not about how you start but instead how you finish. A sluggish start put the Natchez 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars facing a deficit on the scoreboard, but a couple timely hits, sharp pitching from Cody Floyd and some defensive gems paved the way for a 6-2 win over Franklin County Thursday at the District 6 West Sub-District tournament.

The win puts the Natchez squad playing Monday against the winner of the Pine Hills-Claiborne County game.

&uot;We knew our bats would come around,&uot; Natchez head coach Alan Dossett said. &uot;We’ve worked hard on it the last couple of days. We knew it would come around, and it did. All of our kids did a great job at the end. We knew we would have some jitters.&uot;

If there were any jitters on the Natchez side, don’t count Floyd in that group. The big right-hander ended up tossing a one-hitter while striking out six and walking three.

Floyd had a no-hitter going until the seventh when Ryan Holland singled to lead off the inning.

&uot;They had trouble hitting Cody,&uot; Dossett said. &uot;He threw well tonight. They had trouble getting around on him. He locates the ball well. He throws a lot of good inside-outside pitches. He pitched a good ball game, but we knew that. He’s pitched like that all year long.&uot;

The only time Floyd got in trouble was in the first inning when a couple errors behind him put runners on base. Franklin County scored two in the first inning to take the quick lead, but the Natchez bats rallied later on against three Franklin County pitchers to take the lead.

In the fifth with the score tied 2-2, Ryan Comer was hit by a pitch to load the bases off Franklin County left-hander Phillip Dillon before Dylan White’s single scored Rudy Lazarus to give Natchez the lead. Colin Dollar then flied out to left to score Floyd from third on a sacrifice for the 4-2 lead.

The next inning Natchez blew it open off reliever Ryan Holland when the top of the lineup came to bat. Speedster R.J. Fleming beat the throw to first for an infield single, and Jordan Dossett parked one off the fence in left center to score Fleming.

Dossett went to third on the throw home, and Daniel Jenkins’ groundout scored Dossett for the four-run lead.

The rally was in contrast to the early innings where Natchez struck out six times in the first three inning and scored just one run after struggling with the offspeed pitches from starter Colton Laird.

&uot;They threw that (Laird) kid, and he had a good breaking pitch,&uot; Alan Dossett said. &uot;Breaking balls at this age are tough to hit. If you want to go to state, you’ve got to hit breaking balls. Cody is the only pitcher we’ve got that really doesn’t throw breaking balls.&uot;

Franklin County put the ball in play at times off Floyd but was victims of sharp defensive play by Natchez. In the fifth Jordan Hunt roped one to right field, but Dylan White made a diving grab for the first out of the inning.

Floyd walked the next batter but got Matt Magee to ground out into a double play to end the inning. Floyd scooped up a grounder and fired to second for the force out, and Jordan Dossett zipped it to first base for the double play.

&uot;Our defense played outstanding,&uot; Alan Dossett said. &uot;Cody, Jordan and Gary Brown at first base &045; we did a good job. And Dylan White did a great job in right. All of our kids stepped up today, and that’s what we need.&uot;

Franklin County got its two runs in the first inning when both Taylor Washington and Dillon scored on an error on a ball hit by Laird before Natchez got an out. But Floyd struck out the next two batter before ending the inning on a groundout.

Natchez scored its first run in the second when Alex Strahan singled and scored on an error on a ball hit by Rudy Lazarus.