SLIPPERY ROCK — Richmond second baseman Justin Pearson, a left fielder by trade, ranged to his left, snagged the bad hop with his glove, twirled and threw a perfect strike to first baseman Cody Campbell to nip Derek Peake by a step.

Game over.

The play was a microcosm of the Slippery Rock Sliders season: close in so many games, but just short in so many, too.

A half step prevented the tying run from crossing the plate at Critchfield Park Monday night and send the Sliders into the offseason with a 4-3 loss to the RiverRats.

“That ball hits the lip and it somehow stays in front of him,” said Slippery Rock manager Shawn Pynn. “It was a bang-bang play.”

The loss was the eighth straight setback to end the season for the Sliders, who finished the second half with a 10-20 record — the same mark as they put up in the first half.

The second half, though, saw a different Sliders’ team, one that just 10 days ago looked poised to make a late-season push for a playoff spot.

But injuries and defections hurt the Sliders down the stretch.

“We were literally playing with 17 guys at the end of the year,” Pynn said. “We had a few guys leave, which was a little upsetting, and a few guys get injured. These guys are the guys who grind it out every days. These are a fantastic group of guys.”

One of the guys who stuck it out was catcher Radley Haddad, a rare two-year player in the league.

Haddad, who went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the first inning and finished strong with a .310 average this season, was emotional after the game.

“I had the same host family for two summers, so it’s going to be tough leaving them,” said Haddad, who is from Carmel, Ind., and is a junior at Butler University. “I had a great time in this league and I really appreciate Slippery Rock and the community for giving me a chance to do this. It’s been awesome.”

Haddad caught the last seven games of the season and 53 out of 60.

He was behind the plate again Monday and guided left-hander Max Deering to another strong outing.

Deering tossed a complete-game, giving up four runs — only two earned — while striking out five and walking no one.

Deering finished the season as the Sliders’ most consistent starter, going 3-5 with a 3.73 ERA.

“When I spoke to his coaches (at Santa Clara University), they told me he was one of those guys who got it,” Pynn said of Deering. “He was one of those guys who understood it and bought into the system.”

Deering gave up two runs in the first inning, but his teammates got them back in the bottom of the first,

Slippery Rock led 3-2 heading into the top of the sixth inning, but Derek Trovillion led off with a monster home run to left and then back-to-back errors led to the eventual winning run.

The Sliders had a chance in the bottom of the ninth, getting Zach Walsh on base with a leadoff infield single and to second on a fielder’s choice groundout. But Zach Looney flew out to shallow center before Peake’s grounder in the hole between second and first was corraled by Pearson to end the game and the season.

Pynn is unsure whether or not he will return next year.

“I’m still hunting around, looking for a job,” Pynn said. “Being Canadian makes it a challenge with the Visa situation. You never know. I never say never.”

Richmond 200 002 000 — 4 8 0

Slippery Rock 201 000 000 — 3 12 3

W: Patrick Van Daalwyk 5IP (0K, 1BB). L: Max Deering 9IP (5K, 0BB).

Richmond (33-26, 18-11): Justin Pearson 1B, Jake Mahon 1B, Nolan Early 1B, Cody Campbell 2B RBI, Derek Trovillion HR 2B RBI, Jay Delvalle 1B, Kyle Tibbs 1B

Slippery Rock (20-40, 10-20): Zach Looney 2B 1B, Derek Peake 2-1B, Radley Haddad 1B RBI, Ryan Abernathy 1B, Steve Sulcoski 2-2B 1B 2-RBI, Trent Wooldridge 1B, Zach Walsh 1B, Alex Lang 1B