Porters Chapel broke open Thursday’s game with Copiah Academy early with a six-run first inning, then cruised to a 10-3 win over the Academy-AA school.

Dan Ivey came within a triple of hitting for the cycle, had three RBIs and hit a monstrous home run in the third inning to lead the Eagles (15-4, 4-0) to the non-district victory.

“We came out and scored some runs early and threw strikes,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. “I am very pleased with our effort.”

Porters Chapel sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning and took a quick 6-0 lead. Hayden Hales’ two-RBI single and back-to-back RBI doubles by Ivey and Chris Mixon capped the scoring. Mixon, in pursuit of the school stolen base record of 29, swiped three bases to reach 21 on the season.

The Eagles added three more in the third, two of which came on a moon shot by Ivey. The strapping left-hander drilled a fastball over the big blue wall in right field, over the road leading to the school and over the shed beyond the road. Wright said the only other shot he saw hit farther at PCA came from Rebul’s Todd Montgomery about eight years ago.

“We’re swinging the bats pretty good,” Wright said. “We scored 10 runs tonight against a 2-A school, so we are feeling pretty good.”

Spencer Pell added an RBI single in the third as the Eagles took a 9-2 lead.

Porters Chapel scored one more run in the fourth on a Michael Busby RBI double to make it 10-2. The Colonels brought in Brandon Greer, who then shut down the Eagles the rest of the way.

Busby hit two doubles, a single and drove in two runs, while Mixon had two hits in the victory.

Freshman Matt Cranfield pitched 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked four. He improved to 3-0. Pell relieved Cranfield and did not allow a hit.

“(Cranfield’s) pitch count was getting up there so we lifted him,” Wright said. “He did a good job for us and has a very bright future.”