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Porter's Chapel Academy baseball players watch the action during Tuesday's MAIS Class 3A playoff game against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy pitcher Chad Fuson delivers during Tuesday's MAIS Class 3A baseball playoff game against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy baseball coach Rob Riggin gives signs to his players during Tuesday's MAIS Class 3A playoff game against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

A Porter's Chapel Academy baseball fan enjoys a nutritious dinner while watching Tuesday's playoff game against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Chad Fuson runs out a grounder while Lamar Christian's Jackson McCrory waits for the throw during Tuesday's MAIS Class 3A baseball playoff game. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy baseball coach Rob Riggin looks toward the dugout while making a pitching change during Tuesday's MAIS Class 3A playoff game against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy pitcher Landon McCullough delivers during Tuesday's MAIS Class 3A baseball playoff game against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Lamar Christian's McCoy Ladner (7) slides into home plate while Porter's Chapel Academy catcher Conley Johnston waits on the throw. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Evan Gordon crosses home plate to score a run against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy baseball players catch their breath during a break in the action of Tuesday's playoff game against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy pitcher Coltin Hancock delivers during Tuesday's MAIS Class 3A baseball playoff game against Lamar Christian. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy third baseman Grayson Price tags a Lamar Christian runner during Tuesday's playoff game. (Paul Ingram/For The Vicksburg Post)

For the first two innings, Porter’s Chapel Academy played Lamar Christian to a draw. For the last two innings, it did not.

Lamar Christian erupted for nine runs in the third inning and 11 more in the fourth to claim a run-rule shortened, 20-2 victory over Porter’s Chapel in Game 1 of their MAIS Class 3A baseball playoff series on Tuesday.

Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round series is Friday at 5 p.m. at Lamar Christian in Purvis. If PCA wins, the teams will play a deciding Game 3 immediately afterward.

Game 1 was scoreless through two innings, and then things unraveled in a hurry for Porter’s Chapel (3-22).

The first five batters reached base for Lamar Christian (20-7), including one on a bases loaded walk and another on a misplayed fly ball, to bring in the first three runs of the game. Dallas Parker followed with a sacrifice fly, and then Maddox Rimes hit an RBI triple and scored on another error to make it 6-0. The Lions added three more runs and wound up sending 13 batters to the plate during the rally.

Clayton McClure got two runs back for PCA with a single in the bottom of the third, but the Eagles’ hopes for a huge comeback were quickly dashed. Rimes hit an RBI single and a bases-clearing double during the 11-run fourth inning that put the game well out of reach.

Rimes finished 3-for-4 with a double, triple, five RBIs and three runs scored for Lamar Christian. Paker had two RBIs and scored twice, and Jackson McCrory walked three times and scored three runs.

McClure was 1-for-2 with two RBIs for PCA. His RBI single in the third inning was the Eagles’ only hit of the game. Evan Gordon walked twice and scored a run.

MAIS BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
First round
Best-of-3; x-if necessary
Class 3A
Porter’s Chapel vs. Lamar Christian
April 22 – Lamar Christian 20, Porter’s Chapel 2
April 25 – Porter’s Chapel at Lamar Christian, 5 p.m.
x-April 25 – Porter’s Chapel at Lamar Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Class 5A
St. Aloysius vs. Silliman
April 22 – Silliman 5, St. Aloysius 3
April 25 – Silliman at St. Aloysius, 5 p.m.
x-April 25 – Silliman at St. Aloysius, 7:30 p.m.

Class 2A
Tallulah Academy vs. Union Christian
April 21 – Tallulah Academy 19, Union Christian 5
April 24 – Union Christian at Tallulah Academy, 4 p.m.
x-April 24 – Union Christian at Tallulah Academy, 6:30 p.m.

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