From staff reports

Pitcher Matt Cranfield will lead Porters Chapel into an MPSA Class A playoff series against Heidelberg starting on Tuesday. (Meredith Spencer * The Vicksburg Post)St. Aloysius and Vicksburg High are taking different paths through the playoffs, but so far they’ve ended up at the same destination.

St. Al swept its second straight series last week, beating Ethel in two games to advance to the third round of the Class 1A playoffs. The Flashes (23-5) will face East Webster this weekend, with Game 1 on Friday in Maben. Game 2 will be at Warren Central’s Viking Field on Saturday and Game 3, if necessary, will be Monday at a neutral site.

St. Al has won 10 straight games overall to reach the third round for the first time since going to the Class 1A finals in 2002.

Vicksburg has had a slightly tougher time in the postseason, twice needing to go to Game 3 to advance. VHS won two straight at Oxford on Friday and Saturday to advance to the third round. It will face New Albany in the Class 4A quarterfinals this weekend, with Game 1 set for 6 p.m. Friday at Viking Field. Game 2 will be Saturday at New Albany, and Game 3 will be at a neutral site on Monday.

Vicksburg (24-7) has gotten this far largely in part to the herculean efforts of Stanton Price. The senior left-hander is 3-0 in the playoffs, and has gone 12-for-17 at the plate.

Porters Chapel has a hero, too. Senior pitcher Matt Cranfield won two games in a first-round series against University Christian, and is 9-0 on the year. He’ll lead PCA into a second-round series against Heidelberg starting on Tuesday.

Game 1 is at 7 p.m. at Heidelberg, and Game 2 will be Thursday at 7 p.m. at PCA (18-10).