[03/13/01] The Porters Chapel Academy Eagles finally got their groove back Monday night, and Kyle Ehrhardt kept Sharkey-Issaquena from having any rhythm.

Ehrhardt struck out 12, threw a five-inning no-hitter in his first high school start and hit two home runs, including a grand slam, to lead PCA (2-3) to a 17-1 win over SIA (0-5).

Ehrhardt walked three, but finished the game strong. He struck out the last six hitters he faced, and seven of the last eight to give PCA its second stright no-hitter. Heath Smith threw a five-inning no-hitter against Rebul Saturday.

“He had a little problem with his control, but he did a good job. He kept them off-balance all night. That’s the kind of outings we need from him to be successful,” PCA coach Randy Wright said.

Walter Bliss and Trey White added two hits each for PCA, Clayton Hensley had three RBIs and Andrew Embry and Jeremiah Riggs each had RBI doubles.

“We hit a little better. We’re still not where we need to be though,” Ehrhardt said. “I’m just glad that we played a lot better and won.”

The Eagles pounded out 11 hits and scored in every inning, but SIA that scored first.

Leadoff man Bret Stevens walked, stole second and scored on a passed ball strikeout and throwing error to give SIA a 1-0 lead. But it didn’t last long.

Ehrhardt opened the bottom of the inning with a laser beam to left that bounced off the roof of a pickup truck, tying it at 1-1.

An RBI double by Hensley gave PCA a 2-1 lead, and the Eagles blew the game open in the second.

Walks to Andrew Embry and Chris Simms started the inning, and Dustin Abbott was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Ehrhardt.

He lofted a high fly ball to left that dropped just beyond the fence for a 6-1 lead.

Smith followed with a homer, a bomb to left-center that cleared the trucks Ehrhardt hit earlier, making it 7-1.

“I think everybody was a little more excited tonight. I think the back-to-back home runs got everybody fired up and got the bats rolling,” Wright said.

Hensley drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to make it 8-1, and PCA added two runs in the third on bases-loaded walks to Hensley and T.J. Smith before finsihing the scoring with six runs in the fourth.

Although PCA hit the ball well throughout the game, SIA coach Terry Stevens said the eight walks his pitchers surrendered also had an effect on the outcome.

“Just our lack of hitting and execution. And we had a lot of walks, that was a killer,” Stevens said.

PCA returns to action Tuesday in its spring break tournament with a doubleheader. PCA faces Central Hinds at 2 p.m. and Briarfield at 4:30. Briarfield and SIA will play in the nightcap, at 7 p.m.