FERRIDAY, La. – Cole Smith stood tantalizingly close to home plate, carrying with him the run that would tie the first game of the MPSA Class A state championship series.

Porters Chapel had its Nos. 3 and 4 hitters up with Smith 90 feet away at third base. A tiring freshman pitcher who resembled David Wells minus 25 years struggled with every delivery.

Yet he struck out Chris Mixon, the Eagles’ third hitter, to set up a showdown with cleanup hitter Moose Carney. With the outfield playing deep, Carney blooped a pop fly into left centerfield. Seemingly out of nowhere, centefielder Richard Steele broke to the ball, layed out and secured the game-saving catch to send the Hounds to a 5-4 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

&#8220I felt like I ran miles,” said an out-of-breath Steele. &#8220I just closed my eyes and dove for it. I just gave it everything I have. I knew it was the last play of the game.”

The series will shift to Vicksburg tonight for Game 2 at 7 p.m. A PCA (24-9-1) win would force a deciding third game in Ferriday on Friday night.

&#8220They came out here, outplayed us and whipped our butts,” said PCA coach Randy Wright, who’s seeking his second state championship in five attempts. &#8220For whatever reason, we did not play well tonight and they did.

&#8220We were not ready to play and if we come out and play again tomorrow like we did today, we’ll get whipped again.”

Carney’s close call, which would have easily scored Smith from third, was the last of many missed opportunities. PCA had eight hits, but committed three errors and left runners on base in every inning except one.

The only time PCA managed to string hits together, it resulted in a three-run fourth inning that briefly tied the contest at 3. Carney and Hayden Hales each singled and Dan Ivey reached on an error. Carney scored on a wild pitch and Hales scored on a Brady Towne sacrifice fly. Spencer Pell’s double scored Ivey to tie the game.

Huntington (20-10) responded in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Phillip Washington and an RBI single by Steele. Washington, the Hounds’ No. 9 hitter, went 3-for-3 with a double. He had 50 percent of the hits against Matt Cranfield.

The sophomore pitcher tossed six strong innings, striking out four and walking four.

&#8220He deserved to win this game,” Wright said.

PCA managed another run in the fifth on a Carney sacrifice fly. Chris Mixon moved to third, but was stranded when Trey Brasher retired Hales and Dan Ivey to end the inning.

It was all PCA could get against Brasher, who also beat the Eagles as an eighth-grader in the regular season.

&#8220I gotta run more,” Brasher said with a chuckle. &#8220I’m a big’un, so you know in the sixth and seventh innings, you start to get a little tired.”

Brasher came out in the seventh inning and gave up the leadoff double to Smith before retiring the heart of the Eagles’ lineup to win it.

It was Porters Chapel’s first loss in seven playoff games this season.

&#8220Over the years, he has always been able to throw strikes and keep you in the ballgame,” said Huntington coach Mitch Ashmore, a former baseball great at South Natchez High. &#8220He doesn’t do a lot of things wrong and if you hit the ball hard against him, he’ll come back at you.”

Smith singled and doubled to lead the Eagles’ charge, while Hales singled twice and Pell doubled.

&#8220We have to come out and play better, not make so many errors and play baseball like we know we can,” Cranfield said. &#8220We didn’t do that tonight.”