LIBERTY — For the first four innings, Amite School Center had a hard time getting runners on base against Adams County Christian pitcher Rusty Blackwell.

And by the time the host Rebels finally got to Blackwell in the bottom of the fifth inning, it was too little, too late as the visiting Rebels from Natchez had built up a 7-0 lead and eventually went on to take a 9-4 victory Monday night.

ACCS scored three runs before Amite School Center even went to bat in the first inning and added a run in each of the next two innings for a 5-0 lead. Two innings later, ACCS scored two more runs to make it a 7-0 ball game.

Amite School Center scored all of its runs and had the majority of its five hits that Blackwell allowed in the bottom of the fifth to give the host Rebels a little bit of hope for an upset win.

However, the visiting Rebels would have none of if. They scored two runs in the top of the sixth for a 9-4 lead and kept Amite School Center off the scoreboard in the final two innings.

Blackwell struck out eight batters and walked just one over five innings to pick up the win. He helped his own cause by going 3-for-4 with a home run. Christopher Perry had a triple, Ryan Goddard was 2-for-3 with two doubles, and Chris Carrell and Tyler Brumfield each had a double.

Sutton Olive had a home run and Hood went 2-for-4 with a double for Amite School Center.

ACCS (7-1) plays host to the Cathedral Green Wave today with the junior varsity game at 4:30 p.m. and the varsity game at 6:30 p.m.

Block 12, Grace Christian 2

ALEXANDRIA, La. — After watching his team go scoreless through three innings, Block head coach Stevie McCarthy had seen enough.

And whatever he said to his players before the fourth inning seemed to have worked.

Grace Christian probably wished McCarthy hadn’t said anything because the Warriors had a 2-0 lead over Block after three innings of play. But the Bears’ bats woke up at just the right time as they scored nine runs in the top of the fourth, defeating the Warriors Monday afternoon.

“We were dead the first three innings. I had to get on them pretty heavy. We had a few base running errors. We were a little too aggressive. In the fourth we started to hit the ball. We would get base hits and they would walk a few and get those triples like that,” McCarthy said.

Vashawn Davis and Preston Bowman had the momentum-changing hits for Block in the top of the fourth. Davis had a two-run triple and Bowman added a three-run triple. Which was good news for starting pitcher Chase Duncan, who had a magnificent performance going that for the first half of the game appeared like it was going to be all for naught.

Duncan did give up one run in the bottom of the second and third innings to Grace Christian. And thanks to that big offensive explosion by the Bears in the top of the fourth, Duncan finally had the run support he needed. He ended up striking out 16 batters while giving up five hits and two walks in six innings.

“He was on tonight. He was throwing his fastball and his curveball,” McCarthy said. “I’m expecting big things out of him. He’s a senior.”

The Bears added two runs in the top of the fifth inning and one run in the top of the sixth. Davis went 3-for-5 and Bowman was 2-for-5. Ryan Paulk had a double and went 2-for-3.

Block (2-2) will take on Harrisonburg today at 4 p.m., but the location has been moved from Harrisonburg to Block because of renovations to Harrisonburg’s baseball field. However, Block will still be the visiting team for this game.