After a blow-out win in the first round, the Central A & M Raiders bowed out in the second round, failing to cash in against the host Stew-Stras Comets, 5-1.

The Raiders matched the Comets at the plate, with both teams knocking six hits. However, the Comets were able to cash those hits, while the Raiders couldn’t.

Central A & M knocked out 12 hits on Tuesday in their first round win over Windsor, including three home runs. But Comet senior starter Ben Giertz held the Raiders to just six scattered hits. Giertz went the distance for the win, going seven innings and allowing just one run on six hits and no walks, while striking out ten.

Corey Scott had to take the loss for Central A & M, even though he also allowed just six hits. However, he did allow three walks and struck out no one. The Raiders also allowed three errors, which played a role in the Comets cashing in at the plate.

After Giertz struck out the first two Raiders in the first and got the third on a comebacker to the mound, the Comets got their first chance to manufacture a run.

Gabe Wascher rang up the first hit for the Comets in the first inning with one out. Phil Wetherell followed with a single and Giertz walked to load the bases. Luke Rincker then hit to the Raider second baseman Ryan Bressner, who went to tag Giertz headed for second. Giertz got in a run down and Wascher scored for the 1-0 lead.

Giertz struck out the sides in the second, as he sailed through the Raiders line-up. Holding serve, allowed his teammates to manufacture another run and increase their lead in the second.

Kyle Helmuth led off with a single, but was caught stealing. Justin Mechling was hit by a pitch. Designated hitter Lucas Helton, filling in at the plate for Will Rincker who had his appendix out this week, slapped a single out of the #9 slot. An error on Raider fielder allowed Mechling to come around and score for a 2-0 Comet lead.

Jon Medler, who launched a home run a day earlier, gave the Raiders offense a jump start in the third inning with a lead-off double. However, Giertz snared another comebacker to the mound for the first out, rang up the next batter for the second out , then threw out the next batter on another comebacker to the mound to end the Raider threat to get on the board.

Meanwhile the Comets just kept ticking away, adding another run to their lead in the third. Scott got the first two Comets to go down, but then Rincker reached on an error. Widdersheim reached on the second consecutive error and two wild pitches allowed Rincker to score and the Comets to cash in again, 3-0.

The Raider got another lead-off hit in the fourth, this time from Anthony Tintori. He stole second and was in scoring position. But, Giertz again hunkered down and stopped the threat cold. He struck out the next batter and got the following batter on yet another comebacker to the mound. Tintori was on third with two outs and a fly out to center pulled the plug on another threat.

Scott held the Comets scoreless in the fourth, getting them in order on two fly balls to center and a comebacker to the mound. It was still anybody’s game, if the Raiders could get something going. They tried again in the fifth.

With two outs, another comebacker and another strikeout, Brock Ohl slapped a single. Collin Townsend made it two singles in a row and the Raiders’ hopes raised. Tim Bridgman put the ball in play and reached on an error, scoring Ohl and cutting the lead to 3-1.

However, the Comets responded in the bottom of the fifth and pushed the lead out to four runs. Wetherell led off with a single and stole second. He went third on an error. Giertz walked and stole second. Tintori threw out Wetherell at third on a fielder’s choice for the second out. Helmuth then hit his second and drove in his second run. Widdersheim also scored and the Comets were up 5-1.

The Raiders tried to rev up their offense more, but the Comet defense kept that from happening. Bressner led off with a single and Scott made it back-to-back singles. Mike Dance walked and the bases were loaded with no outs. But they couldn’t cash in.