ERIE — This was not a case of two-out lightning. More like a two-out inferno.

Cathedral Prep sent eight batters to the plate and scored six runs — all coming after two outs in the bottom of the second inning — as the Ramblers rolled to a 13-2, five-inning victory over Mars in a PIAA Class AAA first-round baseball playoff game at Ainsworth Field.

Mars starting pitcher David Anderson had allowed two runs in the first inning, but seemed to settle down when he retired the first two batters in the second.

“We knew that the first four or five guys in Prep’s lineup are really, really good,” said Mars coach Andy Bednar. “We wanted to avoid having them come around in that second inning.”

Anderson was one out away from doing just that before he walked the Ramblers’ No. 9 hitter, Holden Stevanus.

Soon after, Stevanus stole second base and scored on a base hit from Carter Cross. The run extended Prep’s lead to 3-1, but the Ramblers were just getting started.

A walk to Matt Bauer was followed by a run-scoring single off the bat of Austin Braendel. Nick Hess singled in another run and Anderson’s day on the mound was over.

Dylan Rotz was brought in, but the junior was greeted with back-to-back doubles from Colin Williams and Chris Smith that scored three more combined runs.

When the dust finally settled, the Planets were facing an 8-1 deficit.

“That was a big rally for us,” said Cathedral Prep coach Dave Hess. “We started squaring the ball up and fortunately, balls were falling in. Our offense is day-to-day. If someone is having a bad day, we look to other guys to be there to pick it up.”

Rotz took the mound at the start of the third, but did not last the inning. After one out, he surrendered singles to Stevanus and Cross before walking Bauer and Braendel, which made it 9-1. That prompted Bednar to bring Doogie Cannon to the mound.

“Against a team that good, you have to be hitting your spots,” said Bednar regarding Rotz’s relief appearance. “It’s tough to do that when you come in during the middle of a game.”

Prep (21-3) added one more run in the third before scoring three in the fourth.

Mars’ offense hit the ball hard against Rambler starter John Bowen. Anderson gave the Planets a brief 1-0 lead when he singled in Zarek Simkovich in the top of the first inning. Bowen stranded four combined runners in the third and fourth innings to keep the Planets from getting back in the game.

Bowen pitched 4-plus innings for the win.

“He struggled a bit throwing his offspeed stuff for strikes,” said Hess, “but he always competes and he battled for us today.”

Simkovich tallied three of Mars’ eight hits, including a triple that scored Brandon Wetherholt in the fifth and final frame. That sequence chased Bowen from the game as Kye Hopkins finished things up for Prep.

“I’m proud of the way the kids hit the ball today,” said Bednar. “Considering how well we hit the ball and to end up scoring just two runs, we just didn’t get the big hits.”

It was a disappointing end to a very productive season for the Planets (15-7).

“The program had not won a playoff game in 18 years and we win two,” said Bednar. “Then we had to beat Knoch (in the WPIAL consolation game) to make states and we did that. It was a great season, but our luck just ran out today.”

Mars 100 01x x — 2 8 2

Cathedral Prep 262 3xx x — 13 12 1

W: John Bowen 4+ IP (1K, 0BB). L: David Anderson 1.2 IP (1K, 3BB).

Mars (15-7): Brandon Wetherholt 2B R, Zarek Simkovich 2-1B 3B R RBI, David Anderson 1B RBI, Dylan Rotz 1B, Isaiah Johnson 1B, Doogie Cannon 1B

Cathedral Prep (21-3): Carter Cross 3-1B 3R RBI, Matt Bauer 2R RBI, Austin Braendel 1B 2RBI, Nick Hess 1B R 3RBI, Colin Williams 2B R 2RBI, Chris Smith 2-2B R RBI, Rockne Seidel 1B R, Mark Majewski 1B R RBI, Holden Stevanus 2-1B 2R, Tyler Oedekoven R