SLIPPERY ROCK - One big inning.

That's all the Karns City baseball team could produce.

It also proved to be all the Gremlins needed.

Karns City scored nine runs on eight hits in the bottom of the second inning and made the scoring spree stand up in a 9-8 win over Oil City in the District 9-10 Class AA quarterfinals Tuesday night at Slippery Rock University's Critchfield Park.

But the victory didn't come without some anxious moments.

Trailing 9-2 after four frames, the Oilers rallied for two runs in the fifth inning and four runs in the sixth to make it a 9-8 ballgame.

Karns City pitcher Josh Smith labored in the two innings, facing 14 batters with seven reaching base.

With two outs in the sixth and the tying run in scoring position, Gremlins coach Dave McElroy went to the mound to talk with Smith.

"He told me he didn't want to come out," McElroy said. "He had thrown a lot of pitches, but I stayed with him. He's a senior leader on this team and he wanted to get the job done."

Smith did just that, collecting his seventh strikeout by getting Oil City's Cody O'Brien on a foul tip that catcher Matt Allen held on to.

Smith finished with eight strikeouts.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Oilers had the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second before Brian Hahn grounded to second base to end the game.

"You hate to lose, but it was a great comeback," said Oil City coach George Bridge. "It was a great game for the fans."

The Gremlins will face Franklin 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Critchfield Park at in the District 9-10 semifinals.

After watching the Oilers grab a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, Karns City came to the plate in the bottom of the inning with something to prove.

The Gremlins got their point across when five of the first six batters collected hits, including three for extra bases.

In all, KC sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning, with third baseman Mike Stimac collecting two singles, four RBI and a run scored.

In the midst of the run parade, Oil City's Brian Hahn relieved starter and eventual loser Cody O'Brien.

After getting out of the second inning, Hahn gave up just one hit the rest of the way: a single by Allen in the fifth.

"I can't say that the second guy they threw in there was all that different from the first," McElroy said. "You know, sometimes you just get in a flow on offense, and that's what happened when we scored those nine runs."

Smith's defense did him no favors, committing five errors, including one each in the tense fifth and sixth innings.

"That was very disappointing," said McElroy. "I don't plan on making any defensive changes, but our guys know that they have to make the easy plays."

Oil City 020 024 0 - 8 11 0

Karns City 090 000 x - 9 9 5

WP:

Josh Smith (7 IP) 8 strikeouts, 1 walk.

LP:

Cody O'Brien (1

IP) 0 strikeouts, 1 walk

Oil City (12-7):

C.J. Fletcher 2-1B 2R, Zack Sullivan 2-1B 2RBI, Mike Strus 1B RBI R, Brian Hahn 1B 3B 3RBI R, Chris Domer 2B R, Ryan Palmer 2B R

Karns City (18-2):

Mike Stitt R, Dave Black RBI R, Josh Smith 1B 2RBI, Dave Slagle 1B R, Josh Behrens 2-2B RBI 2R, Mike Stimac 1B 3B 4RBI R, Matt Allen 2-1B RBI R, Shayne Bell 2B R, Chad Bell R

Thursday:

Karns City vs. Franklin @ Critchfield Park, SRU, 4:30 p.m.