NATCHEZ — The crosstown matchup of MPSA Class AA rivals lived up to its billing Tuesday, but Trinity Episcopal was the better team in a 14-8 win against Adams County Christian at Chester Willis Field.

The game was not short on excitement — or scoring — with three Saints and four Rebels recording multiple hits.

Jordan Dossett pitched a complete game in the win, striking out 14 and walking just one.

“He stepped up and gave us the game we needed,” Trinity coach Matt Mason said. “We made some mistakes behind him but he didn’t let it bother him. He battled, overcame it and kept us in the ballgame to win.”

The Saints allowed one run in the first inning when the first batter, Brandon Sanders, reached first on a dropped strike three by catcher Chase Patrick. He reached second on a single by Ryan Comer and scored on a Jake Brumfield single.

But Trinity had a two-run answer when King singled to left and stole second, reached third on a pass ball and scored on a Wells Middleton single. Middleton stole second and advanced to third on a walk, scoring on a single to centerfield by Daniel Dunaway.

Trinity then put up two runs in both the second and fourth innings for a convincing 6-2 lead headed into the fifth inning.

But the Rebels weren’t finished challenging. ACCS scored three runs in the top of the fifth and another three in the sixth to take an 8-7 lead.

Brumfield reached on another dropped third strike in the fourth, reached second on a single by T.J. Johnson and third on a pass ball before he and Johnson scored on a single by Audie Crosby.

Then Sanders hit a triple to centerfield in the fifth inning, and when Ryan Comer was thrown out at first on another dropped strike three in the next at-bat, Sanders took off for home, and the throw to the plate was off.

Tyler Brumfield singled and Johnson walked, and both scored on a single by Christopher Perry.

“It was a big game and a big atmosphere, and we’re a young team,” Mason said. “I think nerves might have had a little bit to do with it. But they kept their heads together and they played as a team tonight, and that was the main thing.”

That, and the Saints bats had yet to cool off.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Trinity scored three runs without any outs against Collin Dollar, including two consecutive bunts that were bobbled by the pitcher.

Dollar was pulled for Johnny Smith, who walked two and hit one batter to score another run before a single by King drove in the fifth and sixth runs of the inning.

“Johnny’s been throwing strikes for us and ultimately that’s what you’re looking for,” ACCS coach Hunter McKeivier said. “He had built up my confidence here lately the way he’s been throwing so I decided to put him in, and he just didn’t have it tonight.

“They’re getting runners on — they’re a good hitting ball club — but we’ve got to be able to make the plays when it’s hit to us, and we just didn’t tonight. Our pitchers gave us chances, they put the ball in play, but the errors are going to come back to haunt you and they did in the sixth inning.”

King was 4-for-5 with a double at the plate Tuesday night, despite playing on a sprained ankle.

Givonni Dent was 3-for-5.

“Kent had a great night at the plate tonight,” Mason said. “He slowed us down on the bases a little bit with that ankle because he’s one of our big base stealers. But he was patient and he hit the ball when he was pitched to. (Dent) has been hot all year, he continued to stay hot and get some big hits.

“We stressed before the game we had to do a good job of two-strike hitting, and I think for the most part we did a good job of that tonight.”

The Saints and Rebels (10-7, 4-3) will meet again Friday night in a doubleheader that starts at 5 p.m. at ACCS.

The two are still fighting for first place in District 3-AA.

“I thought their pitcher did a good job, but we were still able to get the hits when we needed them,” McKeivier said. “We hit the ball when we had runners on, we had a lot of clutch hits today that I was very proud of, but we’ve just got to be able to continue on and build on what we’ve done and get better.”