DILLSBURG - The Marian baseball team knows a thing or two about playing in close ballgames.

Including Thursday's PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal game against Bellwood-Antis, each of the Colts' last four games have been decided by just one run.Thursday proved to be no different - even though the Colts trailed by three runs heading into their final at-bat.Despite an exciting seventh-inning rally to tie the game, Marian ended up on the wrong end of this one-run affair. Bellwood's Jack Showalter delivered an RBI single in the top of the eighth, which lifted the Blue Devils to a 6-5 state playoff win over the Colts."They came back and you have to give them credit," said Bellwood-Antis head coach Steve Conlon. "Good teams battle … but you have to give our kids credit too. We could have easily packed it in and said 'it's over'. But we came out and scratched across that run and it shows the mentality that our team has."Marian once again proved that it couldn't be counted out.Alex Kubishin reached on an infield error with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, which scored Mike Latoff, who drew a walk earlier in the inning. The drama really started to unfold right after that, when Dan Keer smashed an opposite-field RBI triple, which cut the Devils' lead to 5-4."I brought him (Keer) over and told him they would pitch him middle-away, and not to be antsy," said Marian head coach Tony Radocha. "That's his swing. Next thing you know, there it goes. Dan's one of the best hitters I've ever been around. It's been a pleasure to coach him. He came to work every day."After Keer's clutch hit, it was then Max Nolter's turn to try and keep Marian's season alive. Nolter did just that, delivering an RBI single to tie the game at 5-5."We came out fighting, clawing away, and scrapping," Radocha said. "That seventh inning was the complete microcosm of our season. We had a lot of magic in the last week-and-a-half."Today (the magic) ended after seven innings. But we showed character, we showed heart, and we showed desire."The Devils had built their lead by chipping away across the first five innings.Cleanup hitter Sawyer Kline smacked an RBI double in the opening frame. In the third, leadoff hitter Brendan Kowalski hit a triple to deep left field, and was driven in by Trent Walker. Showalter had another RBI single in the fourth, and right after him, Ian McFarland drove in a run after a Colts' infield error."Our top of the order hits the ball really well," said Conlon. "Today we were able to get on some balls and get a lead and that was a big thing."If you get a lead in a high school game, it's a big deal for your pitcher."After Showalter's go-ahead hit in the top of the eighth, the Colts went down in order in the bottom of the inning to end the game."We just didn't give up," said Radocha. "It was a great ballgame and we were happy to be a part of this. We're going to look back at this and remember all of the great memories this season."We're sorry to see it end. We really thought Medlar Field (site of the state championships) was right on the horizon. But that's the way baseball goes. Tomorrow, the sun will shine and we are going to move on."NUMBER ONE … With two more hits on Thursday, Keer finished his career with 116, and is now Marian's all-time hit leader. He also owns the school's record for RBIs in a career.CONTACT HITTERS … Marian's Ryan Cappel struck out Kowalski in the sixth inning, which marked the game's first 'K'. "He's a bulldog out there," said Radocha. "Ryan could be down 3-0, and he still thinks he's going to come back and strike you out. Our three starting pitchers complimented each other so well this year (Keer, Cappel, Jarod Paisley). I can't say enough about the effort and leadership that they provided this year."OTHER OFFENSE … Paisley was the only other Marian player besides Keer with more than one hit. He finished with two singles and an RBI.IT'S A WRAP ... Marian finished the season with a 15-9 record. The Colts have won two straight District 11 titles, and reached the state quarterfinals in back-to-back seasons.PROUD COACH ... Radocha said this season and this team were special. "All 15 of them, they're just great kids," Radocha said. "I am so blessed to have a team like this. Just come to work every day, get their work done, and have fun. They enjoy the game, and they enjoy being around one another."Bellwood-Antis 101 210 01 - 6 8 2Marian 100 010 30 - 5 7 2Linsman, Wood (6) and Kline; Keer, Cappel (5) and Nolter. W - Wood. L - Cappel.