SLIPPERY ROCK — Bailey Mertens' pitch nearly fluttered away from Slippery Rock running back Ryan Lauster Friday night.

Lauster didn't flinch, snaring the ball out of the air with one hand before running 23 yards for the Rockets first touchdown during the third quarter of a 24-13 non-region home win over Perry Traditional Academy.

“The pitch was a little wide, but I was able to gather it in,” Lauster said. “No worries.”

Slippery Rock, which had a number of first-time starters, is still ironing out the kinks.

The Rockets broke in a number of new starters, who had to sit through a 2 hour, 15 minute rain delay before playing a game that finished two minutes short of midnight.

“They faced a lot of adversity tonight, sitting in the locker room for two, two and a half hours waiting for the game to start,” First-year Slippery Rock coach Travis Sarver said. “I'm proud of them. They handled the adversity well.”

Perry — which lost to the Rockets 40-18 in last season's opener — put the Rockets in several tough spots.

Commodores defensive back Jermale Johnson intercepted a Mertens pass in the second quarter and returned the ball to the Rockets 22.

He finished the drive with a 10-yard run with 1 minutes, 48 seconds left before the half to put Perry up 6-0.

Nicholas Stutz gave Slippery Rock its only first-half points when he made a 28-yard field goal with a second remaining.

Perry, which allowed the Rockets to run for 368 yards last year, held Slippery Rock to 214.

“I think we're more disciplined and are a better-coached team,” Commodores Craig Aguglia Said. “The kids are more and they are buying into a program. They are learning and learning football. I'm happy about that.”

Neither team recorded a first down until the first drive of the second quarter.

“It was a lot of guys first game, their first varsity game,” Lauster said. “Getting a feel for the game took us a while. The adversity we had to take with the postponement was crazy. It took us awhile, but we got going.”

Lauster lassoing in Mertens' pitch capped an 11-play drive after halftime that gave Slippery Rock a 10-6 lead.

Perry took a 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter when Josh Dwyer caught an eight-yard pass from Talal Rogers with 3:45 left in the third.

Slippery Rock went ahead for good on the following drive when Bailey Mertens scored from 1-yard out on fourth and goal with 11:11 remaining.

The Rockets then got a good bounce and closed the game. Johnson fumbled a punt, which was recovered by Patrick Shea.

Lauster then scored on a 6-yard run with 4:51 remaining to close out Slippery Rock's win.

The score was a set up by a 25-yard pass Trenton Porter had to lay out for. Mertens took a shot before throwing the ball.

It was the growth Sarver was looking for.

“Bailey was a little excited in the first half and we talked to him at halftime,” Sarver said. “We told him to set his feet and throw the ball. He set his feet, took a big hit and put a good ball out there and Trent made an awesome catch.”