Matt Cranfield and Austin Barber combined to strike out 14 University Christian School batters to lead Porters Chapel Academy to a 10-0, six-inning District 5-Academy A win Thursday night at Pierce Field.

The visiting Flames were limited to just a leadoff single in the top of the sixth inning off Barber, who had entered in relief of Cranfield. Barber then struck out the next three batters to end the inning.

PCA coach Randy Wright said Cranfield’s escape out of a fourth inning, bases-loaded and no-out jam was the key behind the Eagles winning their third straight district contest.

“The big thing was the bases-loaded jam and nobody out in a 1-0 game,” Wright said. “They tried to squeeze but it was perfect execution by us that turned it our way. I told Matt to pitch it high and we got their guy in a rundown off third.”

Cranfield’s first pitch to Josh Dixon was high to catcher Josh Hill, negating the bunt. That left UCS’ Dillon Chappell, who was on third, hung out to dry. Hill ran down Chappell for the tag halfway between home and third. With one out, Cranfield struck out the next two Flames, the last on three pitches, to leave the score at 1-0.

“That was a big play on that squeeze. I was then able to go back and work the outside,” Cranfield said.

He had two more strikeouts in the fifth to give him 11 for the game. He was clocked by a visiting junior college coach between 78 to 83 miles per hour on his fastball. Cranfield did say the decrease in velocity is a concern for him.

“I’m not pitching up to my expectations. I have some soreness in my shoulder and it’s something I have to tend to everyday. But I felt my curve ball was good and I did a pretty good job of hitting my spots,” he said.

Clayton Holmes gave PCA (3-2, 3-0) a 1-0 lead in the first when he singled and then scored on the first of five UCS errors.

The errors wasted a good effort by Flames pitcher Mark Kaplan, who struck out 10 and allowed just three hits in four innings.

“They had a really good pitcher on the mound and a coach said he hit 88 (miles per hour). This was a tight ballgame until the fourth,” Wright said.

A dropped third strike on Cranfield’s at-bat in the fourth set in motion a five-run outburst. Chris May then reached on a dropped throw at first, which was enough to send Cranfield around to score. Hill followed with his third home run of the year, a two-run shot to left for a 4-0 lead.

Gabby Hays then reached on an infield hit and scored on the Flames’ fourth error of the inning.

In the sixth, the Eagles ended the game with four runs. Three straight hits set up a two-run single by Barber, who scored on Cranfield’s game-ending double.

Hays had two hits to lead the Eagles’ eight-hit attack.

PCA will host Claiborne in a doubleheader Saturday at 2 p.m.