Porters Chapel had just taken a 13-11 lead over Russell Christian in the top of the 12th inning of a game postponed from Tuesday when a shower sent the teams scurrying to the dugouts Thursday.

The game that wouldn’t die was delayed another day.

The two teams will finish the first darkness-, then rain-delayed contest on Saturday afternoon at Pierce Field, with the Eagles batting in the top of the 12th with two outs and Jonah Masterson, whose two-RBI double gave PCA the lead, standing on third.

After the conclusion of the first game, the two teams will play Thursday’s originally scheduled game.

“Not for one game, never,” PCA coach Wade Patrick said when asked if he’d faced a situation like this. “It seems like someone doesn’t want us to finish it. We’re going to get it in. This is a first for me. Your emotions go up and down.”

One concern will be pitching for PCA. Starter Talbot Buys threw an arm-wringing 140 pitches in 62⁄3 innings on Tuesday and reliever Sam Kirk threw 70 pitches. Masterson will likely get the start in the second game.

But the worst burden of the elongated series was borne by Russell Christian. The team made a two-hour bus ride from Meridian, only to play half an inning and face another long trip Saturday.

“You just try to stay positive, because you can’t control this,” Russell coach Langford Knight said. “There’s challenges in life and you have to deal with them and move on.”

Both coaches are happy with their teams’ effort, as neither showed any sign of giving way. The Raiders rallied from an 8-3 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs Tuesday and both teams scratched and clawed to keep the game tied in extras.

“It’s such a great game for these kids,” Knight said. “We’ve played 11 innings of incredible baseball and you play baseball so you can be in situations like this.”

With the games being key in the race for the District 5-A championship, both teams realize the stakes of winning what has turned out to be a gut-wrenching, arm-wringing marathon of burnt bus fuel and disappointment.

“Every time we had them down by one or two runs, we just couldn’t seem to put them away,” Patrick said. “It’s never over, it seems. But I’m glad we got ahead. That’s a big key. It’s a long way from over.”