Before school even starts, Porter’s Chapel Academy is already nearly a third of the way through its softball schedule.

The Lady Eagles went 1-2 on Saturday at the Hartfield Academy tournament to continue a stretch of 12 games in 14 days. They have about 25 regular-season games on the schedule that ends in September.

PCA salvaged a difficult day on Saturday with a 5-2 win over Canton Academy. It scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning, and then won it in four via the tournament time limit.

Katie Tillman hit an RBI single in the third inning, and Storey Kirklin singled in two more runs to give the Lady Eagles a 4-2 lead. Another run scored on an error.

The singles by Tillman and Kirklin accounted for two of PCA’s three hits in the game. Emily Collins had the other, a leadoff single in the fourth inning.

Hannah Embry allowed two runs, one earned, in four innings. She struck out six and walked one.
Embry pitched in all three tournament games. In a combined 11 1/3 innings, she allowed three earned runs, seven hits and only one walk, and struck out 16 batters.

PCA’s other games on Saturday were a 2-0 loss to Tri-County and a 7-3 defeat at the hands of East Rankin Academy.

East Rankin scored seven runs in the top of the first inning to blitz the Lady Eagles out of the gate. Kirklin hit a two-run double in the bottom of the first to cut it to 7-2, but it was the last hit PCA had.

In the tournament opener, two Tri-County pitchers combined to no-hit the Lady Eagles.

PCA will continue its busy early stretch with three home games in four days this week. It hosted Cathedral on Monday night, will play Hartfield Academy at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday and Central Hinds at 6:15 p.m. Thursday.

All of PCA’s home games are at Sports Force Parks on the Mississippi.