CRANBERRY TWP - Before his wedding in the middle of the season, Brendan Steiner was struggling mightily at the plate.

He had three hits and had fallen to rock bottom in the order - sometimes batting 10th when Cranberry used an extra hitter.

"I was putrid," the center fielder said. "I was doing more harm than good."

But a little wedding bliss and some much-needed time off has rejuvenated Steiner.

He showed off his new, relaxed stroke Wednesday against Freeport in Game 2 of the Eagle County League series with five RBI in Cranberry's 8-5 home win.

The victory sends Cranberry on to the second round and gives Steiner a stranglehold on the leadoff spot in the order.

"I don't know what it was," Steiner said of his turnaround at the plate. "Maybe it was watching Mexican TV in Spanish. It gave me a chance to clear my mind."

Steiner was adept at clearing the bases Wednesday.

He drove in two runs in the second inning with a single and drove in three runs in the fourth with a bases-loaded double that carried over the head of Freeport right fielder Aaron Albert.

"He's been swinging the bat real well since coming back," said Cranberry player-manager Bill Clinefelter. "When he came back, we had three pretty solid outfielders, so he didn't know exactly where he was going to fit in."

Steiner also had a double and a home run in Game 1 and is hitting .500 since returning from his Mexican honeymoon.

His bat helped Cranberry starter Bill Stehle overcome a shaky first inning.

Stehle walked the first two Freeport batters, who then came around to score on consecutive singles by Keith Kubit and Ken Bissell.

Stehle, though, didn't walk another batter and went the distance to send Cranberry to the next round of the playoffs.

That sent Freeport, which came into the eight-team playoff tournament as the No. 4 seed, home.

Freeport has been playing under adversity during the last two-plus weeks of the season because of injuries and work shift changes.

That reduced the River Pirates' roster to dangerously low levels.

"We've basically been playing with nine, 10 guys the last month of the season," said Freeport player-manager Wayne Greiser. "We've had a couple of injuries and a few guys have work schedule changes.

"I'm definitely proud of the guys who have been able to come."

Freeport starter Jason Shaffer pitched well for the most part, except for the two clutch hits turned in by Steiner.

"They put the ball in play," Greiser said. "We had a couple of routine plays that we didn't make."

The two teams actually played three scoreless innings Tuesday before lightning halted the contest.

Because of Eagle County League rules, the game had to be started over from the beginning.

That wasted stellar efforts by the two starters on Tuesday.

Freeport starter Tim Buzzard had four strikeouts and a one-hitter through three innings and Cranberry starter Josh Remeroski had six Ks and also surrendered just one hit through three.

"(Remeroski) had the best stuff he had all year," Clinefelter said.

The same was true of Buzzard, who warmed up toward the end of Wednesday's game, but never took the mound.

Cranberry will now wait to see who it will play in the second round, which will begin Saturday.

Mars-Mars II and Natrona Heights-Zelienople must play the decisive Game 3 of their series tonight.

Freeport 201 010 1 - 5 9 2

Cranberry 230 300 x - 8 9 1

WP:

Bill Stehle (7 IP) 1 strikeout, 2 walks.

LP:

Jason Shaffer (6 IP) 2 strikeouts, 3 walks

Freeport:

Aaron Albert 1B; Greg Samson 2B; Keith Kubit 2-1B, 2B, RBI; Ken Bissell 2-1B, 2-RBI; Wayne Greiser 1B, RBI; Steve Castor 1B, RBI

Cranberry:

Brendan Steiner 2B, 1B, 5-RBI; Mike Gogolin 1B; Adrian Sykes 3B, 2-1B, 2-RBI; Bill Clinefelter 1B; Justin Waychoff 1B; Stehle 1B; Chris DuBensky 1B