KELLER -- Curtis Petersen is like that old Chevy Camaro in your grandfather’s garage.

Curtis Petersen

It takes a minute to get it going, but once it does, it’s a pretty smooth ride.

Ryan’s pitching ace gave Keller Fossil Ridge an uncomfortable ride in the latter innings of Game 2 of the Class 4A Region I quarterfinals on Friday after a slow start. He got better and better as the game went on and shut the door on the Panthers after Ryan blew open the game in the sixth inning.

Petersen gave up just five hits and two runs in a complete game. He fanned 11 Fossil Ridge batters -- including six in the final two innings -- to vault Ryan to a 5-2 win and into a decisive Game 3 at noon today at Colleyville Heritage.

“For some reason, it’s been like that all year,” Petersen said. “I just feel more comfortable going into the third, fourth. After about the fourth inning, I just seem to find a groove and I feel more comfortable. The defense early in the game made some great plays. That keeps me ready to go for later innings.”

Petersen kept things in reach for Ryan (28-7) while it struggled to produce at the plate, but the Raiders finally got something going off Fossil Ridge (27-9) starter Logan Kasabian in the sixth.

Catcher Juan Gloria hit a two-out double to get things started, and Kasabian walked two batters to load the bases for Will Nelson.

Nelson delivered with an RBI single, and second baseman Kevin Burkhart was sent to home plate after being interfered with while running to third base to give Ryan a 3-1 lead. Zach Voight iced the game on the next at-bat, driving home two runs with a double to make it 5-1 and sending Kasabian to the bench.

“We finally zeroed in and started getting aggressive at the plate,” said Ryan head coach Bret Warnack. “We finally got some pitches to hit that we made contact with. We’ve been missing a lot of good pitches to hit. We finally got out of that funk in that inning and we were able to put some runs up on the board.”

Fossil Ridge scored in the second on an RBI single by Wes McElroy to tie the game at 1-1, an inning after Ryan opened the scoring off of two errors. The Panthers managed another run in the seventh on a Raider passed ball, but it was too little to upend Ryan.

While Petersen did most of the grunt work, the Raider defense came up with some key plays at the right time. With the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the first, Ryan first baseman Jordan Buck snared a line drive that was headed over his head, and he tagged first base for the double play.

Gloria practically ended the bottom of the fourth all by himself. With no outs and a man on second, Gloria picked up a bunt and nailed the throw to third for the first out. During the next at-bat, he caught a man stealing second with a ferocious throw to the bag that made it just in time for the second out. The inning ended with a harmless grounder.

Gloria had one of his best games at the plate as well, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run. He almost had another run but was barely caught at home in the seventh inning.

“Juan Gloria – game MVP,” Petersen said of his catcher. “That was the best game I’ve ever seen him play.”

Ryan is now faced with a winner-take-all Game 3 against the Panthers. The Raiders will likely pitch either Michael Braswell or Scotty Young. Fossil Ridge will likely pitch Kyle Estill, who has been the Panthers’ No. 2 starter in the playoffs, but hasn’t started a game in this series.

“We finally got the momentum back,” Petersen said. “We still have to fight, though. Last Saturday [against Cleburne] we dodged a bullet. It’s going to be a big game. It’s very evenly matched.”

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

Ryan 5, Keller Fossil Ridge 2

Ryan    100            004            0            --            5            7            2

Fossil Ridge            010            000            1            --            2            5            2

WP – Curtis Petersen. LP – Logan Kasabian. 2B – R: Juan Gloria (2), Zach Voight, Bubba Roddy. Records: Ryan (28-7), Fossil Ridge (27-9).