[8/26/03]At the same time they’re learning the finer points of softball, the Porters Chapel Academy Lady Eagles are becoming masters at damage control.

PCA escaped two bases-loaded jams, then took advantage of timely hitting and a couple of defensive miscues by River Oaks to score a 6-1 win Monday afternoon at Bazinsky Park.

Lauren Johnson went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and an RBI for PCA, and held River Oaks (5-6) to one unearned run and five hits in six innings to earn the win.

Lindsey McCool also drove in two runs for PCA, and Allison Horn had an RBI single. Sarah Mintz went 2-for-3 for River Oaks.

Despite allowing 34 unearned runs this season, PCA improved its record to 12-2 with the victory.

“Our pitchers, both Lauren and Betsy (Bryan) right now are really good for us,” PCA coach Kevin Griffin said. “They understand that they can throw strikes and their defense is going to back them up.”

River Oaks struck first on Monday, scoring an unearned run in the top of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. A PCA error and a passed ball on a third strike allowed River Oaks to keep the inning alive and load the bases with two outs.

Johnson got out of the jam with a groundout, however, and PCA answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Amy Beaugh started the rally by reaching on an error, and McCool reached base on a dropped third strike. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Betsy Bryan drove in a run with a botched fielder’s choice to tie the game.

McCool scored on another wild pitch, and Bryan came home on Horn’s RBI single to give the Lady Eagles a 3-1 lead.

“We had some mental errors from some veteran players that knew better and had about three innings with runners in scoring position, and just couldn’t get it down and generate it,” River Oaks coach Jay Via said. “It’s one of those things that this is a very young team, and they’re going to make those kinds of mistakes.”

The two-run cushion was all Johnson needed. She retired seven straight batters after allowing a leadoff single to Mintz in the third inning, and escaped another bases loaded jam in the fifth.

After Brittany Nappier and Mintz singled with one out in the fifth, Johnson got Candice Houston to hit into a fielder’s choice. Johnson walked Kristin Hannah, then struck out Laura Hill to end the inning.

Johnson then helped put the game away in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out, RBI single. McCool added a two-run single later in the inning to make it 6-1, and Johnson retired the Lady Mustangs without incident in the sixth as the game ended via the 90-minute time limit.