Manchester Academy’s late surge trumped St. Aloysius’ last-ditch rally on the opening night of the MAIS baseball season.

Manchester scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning and one more in the seventh, then held on to beat St. Al 8-5 Tuesday night at Bazinsky Field.

St. Al scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh and got the tying run to the plate, but couldn’t complete a miracle comeback.

Jack Miller was 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs for Manchester. He also got the sixth-inning rally started with a leadoff single. The Mavericks took advantage of nine walks and three hit batters to keep pressure on the Flashes.

For its part, St. Al drew seven walks to go along with four hits. Carson Smith hit an RBI single, walked and scored two runs. He also had four stolen bases.

St. Al pitcher Clark Hobson allowed one hit and two runs in four innings, while striking out two.

The Flashes will play again Friday, at home at 6 p.m. against Park Place Christian Academy.

East Rankin 14, Porter’s Chapel 1
Will McGee was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored, and also had five strikeouts in two innings pitched as East Rankin Academy blitzed Porter’s Chapel Academy on opening night.

East Rankin scored in every inning, including five runs in the third and four more in the fifth.

Logan Hall doubled and drove in three runs for the Patriots, while Aiden Carlisle was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

For Porter’s Chapel, Evan Gordon and Cameron Potter each had a hit. Carson Hays drove in the team’s only run with a bases-loaded walk in the third inning.

PCA’s starting pitcher, Chad Fuson, went two innings and had five strikeouts. He walked two batters and allowed three runs, only one of which was earned.

PCA and East Rankin will play again Thursday at 6 p.m. in Pelahatchie.