FAIRVIEW — Karns City was four outs away from a District 9 Class AA baseball playoff victory.

By the time the Gremlins got them, however, nine runs had crossed the plate as Redbank Valley rallied to post a 12-5 victory.

"The score is no indication as to how close this game actually was," Karns City coach Tom Stewart said. "Redbank began hitting balls where we couldn't get them ... They just didn't let up."

The Bulldogs trailed 5-3 — allowing five runs on just one hit in the Gremlins' third inning — with two outs and the bases empty in the sixth.

Luke Hager beat out an infield single against KC relief pitcher Jarrett LaVan and Brandon Bain drilled an opposite-field homer to right to tie the game.

The round-tripper was Bain's first of the season.

Redbank Valley then put together a seven-run seventh inning to put the game away. With the bases loaded and one out, No. 9 hitter Kevin Doverspike hit a sharp grounder to third off Gremlins reliever Pat Foster that KC's Devin Collins couldn't handle. Hager followed with a bloop single to center to make it 7-5.

With two outs, Kent Shick singled sharply to left to plate another run. Kasey Haines followed with a grand slam to left to put the contest out of reach.

"We've been struggling withour offense most of the season," Redbank Valley coach Justin Merwin said. "We've just been in a funk.

"But I've known these guys can hit the ball and they picked the right time to come out of it."

Before the Bain and Haines home runs, the Bulldogs had hit the ball out of the park only five times all year.

Wednesday's win for Redbank avenged a 3-1 regular season loss to Karns City. Gremlins freshman right-hander Derek Sadowski got the win that day and got the start in the playoff game.

"My concern was giving their hitters a second look at Derek," Stewart said. "But I was hoping to get three or four innings out of him because we had plenty of guys available (to pitch) behind him."

Sadowski surrendered three runs in the first inning — throwing 39 pitches — and walked four in two frames before being lifted for LaVan.

"He said his arm was sore," Stewart said of Sadowski. "Jarrett came on and held the fort pretty well."

Redbank nearly melted down in the third as its 3-0 lead disappeared.

With one out, Eric McCue and Cody Williams drew walks and Zach Barney plated both with a double to left. With two outs, LaVan reached on an infield error and Collins walked to load the bases.

Brad Fuhrer worked the count full and with the runners moving, hit a towering fly ball to deep left. The ball stayed in the park and left fielder Justin Radaker camped under it, only to have it pop out of his glove as all three runners scored.

"One bad inning almost killed us," Merwin said.

Shick got the win in relief for the Bulldogs, working the final three innings. Starting pitcher Nathaniel Bowser threw 77 pitches in four frames, including 40 in that ill-fated third.

"I'm still proud of my team," Stewart said. "Even after that rough top of the seventh, (third baseman) Devin Collins never hung his head. He drilled a ball off the center field fence in the bottom of the seventh instead.

"We had a bunch of seniors on this team who never quit."

Redbank Valley will play Moniteau for the D-9 Class AA title Tuesday at a site to be determined.

Redbank Valley 300 002 7— 12 10 2Karns City 005 000 0 — 5 5 2W: Kent Shick (3 IP) 0 K, 2 BB.

L: Jarrett LaVan (4 IP) 3 K, 4 BB.

Redbank Valley (8-5): Luke Hager 3-1B 3-R RBI, Brandon Bain HR 1B 2-RBI, Kent Shick 2-1B 2-RBI 2-R, Kasey Haines HR 4-RBI, Shiloh Bachleitner 2B RBI, Curtis Bowser 1B RBI, Kevin Doverspike RBI

Karns City (8-6): Cody Williams 2B, Zach Barney 1B 2B 2-RBI, Devin Collins 1B, Brad Fuhrer 1B