That his Porters Chapel Academy team could win by the mercy rule, and still coach Wade Patrick picked out some flaws, might be a good sign for the Eagles’ fortunes this season.

PCA batted around in each of the first two innings and finished off an easy 16-4 blowout of Park Place in just four innings.

The victory kept PCA (6-2, 6-0) undefeated in District 5-A, but it was the top of the third inning that grabbed Patrick’s attention. Park Place took advantage of some wildness by pitcher Sam Kirk and several misplays in the field to score three runs.

Kirk walked two batters, hit another and uncorked three wild pitches. The Eagles also committed an error and failed to cover second base on a double steal, a pair of mistakes that led to two runs.

Even though the Eagles were still ahead 13-4, it was the sort of hiccup that has occurred several times this season — and that Patrick said needs to be eliminated if his team has aspirations of being a serious playoff contender.

“What we’re struggling with is making routine plays,” Patrick said. “We had a 12-run lead and Sam gets a little wild. Then we get a couple routine plays that we need to make and don’t, and all of a sudden it’s back to a nine-run game. You still feel kind of comfortable, but as a coach you don’t want to give that other team any momentum at all. It drags it out. You can’t afford to do things like that.”

PCA simply had too much firepower for Park Place (7-5, 0-4) to overcome, and run-ruled the Crusaders for the second time this week. PCA won 11-1 on Tuesday in Pearl.

The Eagles collected 10 hits off of three Park Place pitchers Friday, with Jonah Masterson, Talbot Buys and Cody Zimmerman getting two apiece.

Chapman had an RBI double in the first inning, when PCA scored four runs, and brought in another run in the second with a bases-loaded walk. Buys doubled in a pair of runs in a nine-run outburst in the second inning and added an RBI single in the fourth to finish 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Masterson singled, tripled, walked twice and scored four runs.

Kasey Fillingame had an RBI single in the first inning to give Park Place a short-lived 1-0 lead.

“The hitting has come around a long way since the beginning of the year, and we’re going to have to have that as we continue,” Patrick said.