COLUMBIA STATION — When it was over, Firelands Raptors manager Tom Myers could smile.

“This certainly was a good baseball game,” Myers said Monday after his Raptors held on for a tighter-than-expected 9-8 second-round win over the South Amherst Cavaliers in a Class H (ages 9-10) game in Lorain County district Hot Stove tournament action at Columbia Station Park. “This was a great game for everyone – the players, the managers and coaches and for the fans to watch.”

Myers team, which opened tournament play with a 7-6 win over Keystone Church Street Bar & Grille on Saturday, looked like it would breeze Monday after opening an 8-1 lead after two innings.

But not to be denied, the Cavaliers (14-7) scored four times in the third to cut the lead to 8-5.

The Raptors (9-11) scored their ninth run in the fifth inning and held the Cavaliers scoreless in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

After a strikeout to open the top of the seventh, the Cavaliers loaded the bases with three sharply hit groundballs. That brought Justin Studd to the plate and he promptly came up with a bases-clearing triple to make it 9-8.

Raptors reliever Colin Myers bore down and struck out the next two batters to send him and his teammates to a district quarterfinal game against the winner of today’s game between the Lorain Cardinals and Grafton Cornstar. That quarterfinal game is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Columbia Station Park on Diamond C.

“Colin threw hard and had good location,” Myers of his son’s performance. “We also made some great defensive plays on groundballs and the balls in the air. It certainly will be fun to watch these boys in a few years when they play together, especially if they come together as high school teammates.”

Firelands catcher Nathan Kovach had a triple and a double and also was a leader with his defensive play.

“I use a neon orange mitt, which gives our pitchers a good target,” Kovach said. “I’m also very happy with how well I hit in this game. This probably was one of our best games this season.”

“These two teams have a nice little rivalry going,” Cavaliers manager Jeff Metzger said. “We split our two regular-season games. That’s also why you have tournament games like this. The boys go to school together and really like to play against each other.”

Due to Saturday’s postponement of several first-round games, seven more second-round games — two in Class H and five in Class G — are scheduled for today. Fans are encouraged to check www.ohsbl.com for updated times and scores.

Monday’s scores

CLASS H (AGES 9-10)
Firelands Raptors 9, South Amherst Cavaliers 8
North Olmsted Robek’s 5, North Ridgeville Gladiators 3
Olmsted Falls Bulldogs 20, Lorain Merchants 2
North Olmsted Paulin Eagles 5, North Olmsted Suburban Collision Center 1
Belden Grafton Scoop 25, Medina Thunder 2
Vermilion Aramys 29, North Olmsted Kolick’s 4
Grafton Mezcal 10, Medina Indians 0

CLASS G (AGES (11-12)
Columbia Viccarone Heating and Cooling 12, Valley City Wolf Bros. 10
Spencer Rogers Excavating 22, North Ridgeville Stars 12
Litchfield Try-In Tools 12, Columbia Jakobsky Plumbing 5
North Ridgeville Rockers 11, Keystone Stanziano 1

CLASS F (AGES 13-14)
Belden Amish Swings & Things 12, South Amherst Quarry Monsters 1
Firelands Scorpions 21, North Ridgeville Athletics 1

Contact Jerry Henson at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

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