Eagles can advance to state final with victory on Thursday.

RAYMOND – Game 1 of the MPSA Class A North State championship series was like an episode of &#8220Sesame Street” – sponsored by the letter &#8220E”.

Porters Chapel and Tri-County combined for 11 errors, wasted several golden opportunities to score runs, and spent 2 1/2 hours of a warm spring evening playing generally sloppy baseball. When the carnage was over and the dust settled, PCA was the one left standing with a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

Hayden Hales went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for PCA (23-8-1), Moose Carney hit a two-run home run, and Michael Busby threw two innings of scoreless relief to finish off a 9-6 victory.

PCA wasted an early 4-0 lead, but overcame a two-run deficit by scoring five times in the top of the sixth inning. Hales’ two-run single and a controversial error on a fielder’s choice keyed the Eagles’ late rally.

&#8220It was a really, really ugly ballgame tonight, but in the end I felt like we did what it took to win the ballgame,” said PCA coach Randy Wright, whose team committed four errors, had two runners picked off first and stranded five others in scoring position, and wasted the big early lead.

With the win, PCA closed in on booking yet another trip to the Academy-A finals. It can advance that far for the fourth time in six years by beating the Rebels (21-7) at home on Thursday at 7 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, will be on Friday at 6 p.m. at Hinds Community College in Raymond.

PCA has never lost in the state semifinals in five appearances.

&#8220We’re going to have to make the routine plays,” said Tri-County coach Joe Goolsby, whose team committed seven errors in Game 1 and managed only four hits. &#8220We’ve just got to score every time we get the opportunity to do it.”

PCA trailed 6-4 heading into the sixth when it caught fire.

Brady Towne and Robbie Simms led off the inning with singles, and Cole Smith followed with a grounder to first. Tri-County’s Kendal Grant came home with the throw, but Towne slid in under the tag to cut it to 6-5.

After Busby flied out, Chris Mixon drew a walk and Carney hit a chopper to third. Again, Tri-County’s Brentley Davis tried to get the out at the plate. His throw was high, however, and tipped off the glove of catcher Jacob Sims.

Robbie Simms scored to tie the game, and Smith broke for home while the Rebels tried to find the ball – which was sitting behind Simms almost directly on top of home plate.

Smith got to within a few steps of home before Sims found the ball and moved toward him to make the tag. As Sims applied the tag, though, the ball fell out of his glove. A confused Smith took the final steps toward home at the urging of his teammates to score the go-ahead run.

Hales followed the play with a two-run single to put the Eagles ahead 9-6 and cap the rally.

&#8220I didn’t even know he dropped the ball until everybody started yelling,” Smith said.

Goolsby was as confused as Smith. He thought Sims had made the play and was preparing to throw to second.

&#8220I really thought the catcher made the tag and was getting up to throw,” Goolsby said. &#8220But it’s a judgment call and I’ve got to live with it.”

Once PCA got the lead, they turned to their ace. Busby came in and struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth on only 10 pitches. In the seventh, he allowed a two-out walk to Andrew Howell but got Grant to pop up to Carney for the final out. Carney made an over-the-shoulder catch in short right field on the play.

&#8220It wasn’t all me,” said Busby, who has allowed no runs and only one baserunner in three relief appearances in the postseason. &#8220Cole and Moose both made nice plays. If they don’t make those two plays its runners on second and third with one out.”