Porters Chapel pitcher Justin Boler (10) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a second-inning home run. The Eagles defeated Wilkinson County Christian, 11-1, and will now face Franklin Academy in the South State finals beginning on Tuesday. (Melanie Duncan ThortisThe Vicksburg Post)

[4/30/04]Storm clouds gathered over Pierce Field and the distant thunder became loud rumblings as Porters Chapel Academy’s playoff game against Wilkinson County Christian dragged on Thursday afternoon.

The Eagles had already missed several chances to put WCCA away, and now had another. PCA coach Randy Wright urged his team to rally, and just in the nick of time they responded.

Chip Lofton bounced a two-run single through the infield in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving PCA an 11-1 win and a sweep of the second round Academy-A playoff series moments before a severe thunderstorm would have suspended the game.

The outcome of the game was never in doubt. PCA (25-1) jumped out to a 7-0 lead after three innings, and Justin Boler held WCCA (12-11) to four hits and one run in six innings.

PCA will now play longtime rival Franklin in Game 1 of the South State championship series on Tuesday night.

“You can see it’s going to open up any minute, and it’s supposed to rain for the next three days,” Wright said as the raindrops grew in size and number. “We were looking at having to finish next Monday and then start the South State finals on Tuesday, and I was really pushing to try and get it finished.”

PCA’s Michael Busby went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs, and Boler helped his own cause by going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Ryan Hoben also had an RBI single. Cody Butler drove in WCCA’s only run of the series with an RBI single in the fifth inning.

Two days after allowing 10 unearned runs, WCCA’s defense suffered another meltdown.

The Rams committed five errors four of them in the first three innings to let PCA jump out to the big early lead. None of PCA’s first seven runs were earned.

“It’s disappointing to get this far and have errors determine the outcome of the game,” WCCA coach Ray Olive said. “But that’s the defending champs, they’re a great team, they took it to us, and their play forced our errors.”

PCA struck first with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, then blew the game open with four in the second. After WCCA left the bases loaded in the top of the inning, Busby hit a two-out liner to left with two runners on.

WCCA left fielder Spike Deville slipped in the outfield, and Busby wound up at third with a two-run triple. Boler followed with a line drive over the right field fence for a two-run homer and a 5-0 lead.

“I was talking to my assistant right after that at-bat, that that was key in the game,” Olive said of the Rams’ missed chance in the top of the second. “We had an opportunity like that in the first game, where we had second and third with one out and a 2-0 game, and we had a ball fall about five feet short of the fence.”

As the teams shook hands after the game, single, heavy raindrops began to fall. By the time they reached the parking lot, the rain had turned into a heavy downpour, streaks of lightning were visible in the gray evening sky, and a tornado warning had been issued for Warren County.

“It was cutting it close,” said Boler, who struck out 10 and walked three. “We’d have had to play a different day. Everybody wanted to get it done … I was proud we came in that last inning and scored a couple of runs.”