Bret Warnack couldn’t have scripted a better playoff opener for his Ryan Raiders.

Ryan got a dominating performance from starter Curtis Petersen through 6 2-3 innings. The Raiders (26-5) executed their small-ball offense to perfection, scoring at least one run in all but one inning. Ryan even got a little power at the plate in the form of a solo home run by Will Klausing in the fourth inning.

DRC/Al Key

Ryan’s Will Klausing, center, is mobbed by his teammates after hitting a home run during Game 1 of a Class 4A area round playoff series against Cleburne on Thursday.

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That combination resulted in a 9-0 win over Cleburne (27-9) in Game 1 of the best-of-three series on Thursday at Billy Ryan Field.

The Raiders can close out the series and advance to the Class 4A Region I quarterfinals with a win in Game 2 at 7 p.m. today at Cleburne. Game 3, if necessary, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Saginaw High School.

“Anytime you’re playing a team that was in a playoff series last weekend and you’re sitting around for a week with a bye, it’s good to get that first playoff game under your belt and get in the grove and get the feeling of the atmosphere,” Warnack said. “It was good for us tonight to get going with that and get our first ‘W.’”

Petersen easily won the duel with Yellow Jackets lefty Shane Ingram, who gave up 10 hits in three innings of work, allowing the Raiders to build a 7-0 lead. Conversely, Petersen was credited with all but the last out for Ryan. He fanned nine Yellow Jackets while giving up just two hits.

The Nebraska signee was challenged in the first inning after hitting the first batter of the game and an error put two on for Cleburne. Petersen didn’t allow the Yellow Jackets to capitalize, though, as he forced two routine groundouts and struck out one.

“Curtis did a great job in the first inning,” Warnack said. “It was a big, loud atmosphere. They got a couple runners on there early. Curtis did a great job of battling out of that first inning and not letting them get on the board. We came back and scored early and kept it rolling from then on.”

Junior Ryan Salter again led the charge for the Raiders. He went 3-for-4 from the plate, scored two runs and laid down two perfectly placed bunts. The leadoff hitter opened the bottom of the first with a bunt down the third-base line, and he scored after a single by Will Nelson coupled with a Cleburne throwing error.

“When I get on base, we tend to do a lot better,” Salter said. “I’d rather be on base than not. When I’m on base, it’s a bigger threat. I’m able to steal and we have people that can hit me around and I can run the bases. We tend to get it done a lot better when I’m on base. That’s my role on the team.”

Ryan took a commanding lead in the second inning. A Nelson sacrifice fly made it 3-0 and Bubba Roddy blasted a two-run triple into the right field corner to make 5-0 after two.

Cleburne had a chance to slow Ryan’s offense down in the third inning, but a fielding error on a potential double play kept things going for the Raiders. Shortstop Zach Voight hit an RBI single shortly after to make it 7-0.

“We did some good things offensively tonight,” Warnack said. “That’s going to be big for us in the playoffs — doing the little things well. We did that tonight.”

Five different Raiders finished with multiple hits, including Cord Jezek, who will likely get the start on the mound in Game 2. He went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk in the game, including batting home the final run in the fifth inning.

Ryan is now faced with forgetting about the blowout win in Game 1 and finishing up the series in Game 2.

“We’re experienced in the playoffs and we realize it’s just a win,” Warnack said. “It doesn’t matter what the score was. It’s going to be 0-0 when we start tomorrow. We know they are going to come ready to play and we have to do a good job of making sure we’re ready to go.”

JEFF ANDREWS can be reached at 940-566-6873. His e-mail address jandrews@dentonrc.com .

Ryan 9, Cleburne 0

WP – Curtis Petersen (11-2). LP – Shane Ingram. 3B – R: Bubba Roddy. HR – R: Will Klausing. Records: Cleburne (27-9), Ryan (26-5).