Raiders outlast Fleetwings, 9-6

Silver Creek wins an error-filled Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead over Tri-City.

By Steve Smull

    SCHERERSVILLE -- After coming out flat as a pancake 24 hours earlier, the Raiders got the offense revved up again with five players getting at least two hits as Silver Creek prevailed in a somewhat sloppy 9-6 victory to take a 2-games-to-1 lead in the best-of-five Semifinals series.

    John Stezenko worked a nine-pitch walk to start the contest and Pat Higgins lined a single to right. After two fly-outs nearly put an end to the Raiders' rally, Eric Schmitt singled up the middle to score Stezenko on a fairly close play at the plate thanks to a very strong throw from Matt Marcks. But the Raiders got a bonus run on the play when Jeremy Arner tried to nail Schmitt at second base and the throw sailed into center-field, plating Higgins, so it was quickly 2-0 Raiders.

    The Raiders went right back to work in the second. Kevin Thompson got a leadoff single, stole second (but didn't have to) and scored one batter later on Kirk Mueller's well-timed spot for his first homerun of the season. Silver Creek was on the verge of running away with the game early, leading 4-0, and looking for more when Stezenko followed the homer with a double down the left-field line. But Tri-City starter Matt Hlay worked around an error to squelch the rally.

    The Fleetwings would get a run back in their half of the second. Arner walked and stopped at second on Tom Williams' single up the middle. After a strikeout, Matt Swatsky lifted a fly-ball down the right-field line that Jose Medina tracked down nicely for out number two. Arner tagged up to move to third. Medina whirled and fired a very strong throw to third that looked like it might be in time to nip Arner for out number three, but the throw skipped crazily to the left after hitting the infield grass, right on by third baseman Joe Bubba and out of play to score Arner and it was now 4-1 Raiders.

    But the Raiders would not relent.

    Eric Schmitt led off the third with a double off the bottom of the left-centerfield fence. After a ground-out, Schmitt had to hold at second while Thompson's blooper to short left just eluded the outstretched glove of shortstop Scott Garger for a single. After a fielder's choice put runners at the corners with two outs, Mueller dropped a drag bunt beautifully to the third-base side that Hlay got to, but had no play and it was 5-1 Raiders. Stezenko walked to load the bases for "Mr. August", Pat Higgins. Higgins promptly ripped the first pitch deep to the right-center field gap and it looked as if the Raiders would have an 8-1 lead. But right-fielder Williams made a fantastic, diving, back-hand catch to end the inning and keep the Fleetwings within striking distance.

    And Tri-City would strike immediately.

    Marcks led off the home half of the third by launching the fifth pitch of the inning into the trees beyond the right-field fence and it was 5-2 Raiders. Justin Godusky tatooed a liner to left-center for a single, but was erased on a fielder's choice out at second. After a wild pitch, a fly-out and a passed ball, Arner's ground ball to short skipped into left field for an E-6 and it was now 5-3 Silver Creek.

    Things got quiet until the fifth, when the game started getting even sloppier.

    Medina walked to start the fifth and was promptly sacrificed to second by Thompson, who got a bonus when the bunt was bobbled and he reached first safely. After the next sacrifice attempt resulted in an out at third, Mueller also tried a sacrifice bunt which worked better than the last try because the throw got away at first, scoring Thompson from second, and it was 6-3 Raiders. After a pop-up got Hlay within one out from further damage, up stepped Higgins, who laced a RBI single to left and it was now 7-3 Silver Creek.

    The Fleetwings would answer immediately.

    A bad-hop error off the bat of Justin Godusky started the inning and was followed up with a Ben Swatsky rocket to right-center to put two men on with no outs. After a strikeout, Arner blasted the first offering for a three-run homer to left-center, and just like that, the Raiders' lead had shrunk to 7-6.

    Dave Toth relieved Hlay to start the sixth, and the defense didn't play any better for him. Schmitt laced a one-out double to right-center, and one out later, courtesy runner Mike Bortz scored on another errant infield throw that got away at first. Raiders 8, Fleetwings 6.

    The Raiders would add an important insurance tally in the seventh. Stezenko singled to center to start the frame and Higgins ripped a single down the right-field line to put runners on the corners with no outs. Jeremy Bartha followed with a line-drive, one-hopper to short, where Garger started a nifty 6-4-3 double-play to get the speedy Bartha and keep Stezenko at third. But a lazy fly-ball to short left by Pat Hollander eventually hit the ground after being bobbled for what seemed to be an eternity. The umpire correctly ruled a "no-catch" and Stezenko scored another unearned tally and it was 9-6 Silver Creek.

    Tri-City would not go quietly in the seventh.

    With one out, Ben Swatsky was hit by a pitch and Matt Godusky then singled to center to bring the tying run to the plate. But a pop-up and a strikeout ended the threat, and the game, and the Raiders will now take a 2-1 series lead back to Springtown for Tuesday's 5:45 Game Four tilt.

    Penn State University junior-to-be, Aaron Markowitz, struck out nine in the complete-game victory for the Raiders. Schmitt was 3-for-4 with two doubles, Higgins was 3-for-5, Stezenko 2-for-3, Thompson 2-for-3 and Mueller was 2-for-3 with a homer and 3 RBI for Silver Creek, while Williams was 2-for-4, Marcks had a homer and Arner had a 3-run homer for the Fleetwings.