NATCHEZ — Led by a solid pitching performance by Katie Steele and a couple of big innings, Trinity Episcopal defeated Tensas Academy 11-4 Monday afternoon at the Natchez-Adams Girls Softball Complex.

In the Lady Saints’ MAIS District 7-A opener, Steele allowed four runs on just three hits, all of them singles, in six innings to pick up the win. And she got the run support she needed in the bottom of the third inning when Trinity scored three runs to turn a 1-1 game into a 4-1 game.

“Katie continues to keep us in ball games. She gives us the pitches we need to get a ground ball out,” Trinity Episcopal head coach Chris Hutchins said. “She doesn’t strike out a lot of batters, but she knows what it takes to control the game on the mound. I’m pleased with her effort when times are good and when they are bad.”

After Tensas Academy scored its first run of the game in the top of the first inning, Trinity (5-6, 1-0) responded when Julia Stevens hit an RBI double in the bottom of the first to tie the score at 1-1.

After Steele kept the Lady Chiefs off the scoreboard in the top of the second, the Lady Saints took the lead for good in the bottom of the second. Each team scored one run in the third inning with the Lady Saints getting an RBI triple from Ashleigh Williams, who went 2-for-3.

“I believe offensively we continue to hit the ball well. We seem to do a pretty good job of getting a hit when we need to move the runners around,” Hutchins said.

Trinity put the game away by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning for a 9-2 lead. Both teams scored two runs in the fifth inning to complete the scoring. Christina Givens went 2-for-3 with a double and Sarah Bryan was 2-for-3 for the Lady Saints, who finished with nine hits.

“Very proud for this district win. Our girls played hard. We beat a well-coached Tensas Academy team,” Hutchins said.

The one thing Hutchins wasn’t exactly too thrilled about was the five errors his team committed even though the Lady Chiefs weren’t able to take advantage of them.

“With an up-and-down game defensively, we would make errors in bunches. We’ve got to continue upon (cutting down on errors) and I think we will,” Hutchins said. “Our players are learning to take ownership for their actions and be leaders on the field. They need to be the ones to get the final out.”

Trinity Episcopal travels to St. Joseph, La. to take on Tensas Academy today at 4 p.m.