Butler bats awaken

By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor

Hitting slump? Not on this night.
After scoring two total runs in three recent section losses, Butler exploded for 12 runs and 15 hits in a 12-2 Section 1-AAAA baseball victory over Pine-Richland Wednesday night at Pullman Park.
The win keeps the Golden Tornado within a game of a WPIAL playoff spot with five section games remaining. Pine-Richland's fourth straight loss severely damaged the Rams' playoff hopes.
“We're trying to keep this thing where we control our own fate,” Butler coach Todd Erdos said. “We need to string a few wins together this week.”
Wednesday marked the first of three section games in as many days for Butler. The Tornado travel to North Hills today and head to section-leading Shaler Friday.
Butler will play those games without center fielder Alex Ziegler, who left Wednesday's game in the second inning with a sprained ankle.
“He'll have to stay off it this week and we'll see about Monday,” Erdos said. “Hopefully, it heals up and it's nothing more than a sprain.”
Before his injury, Ziegler contributed to a six-run Butler second — all six runs coming after two were out.
Dante Dorcy beat out an infield single to open the frame. He was at second base with two outs when Dalton Koebler and Cory Wheeler — No.'s 8 and 9 in the Tornado batting order — delivered run-scoring singles.
Colin Williamson followed with a RBI triple to deep center, Ziegler produced a run-scoring single, Mick Fennell a single and Matt Baranchak a two-run single to center before the dust cleared.
Ziegler rolled his ankle as he slid into third on the front end of a double steal prior to Baranchak's hit.
“They just hit the ball, plain and simple,” Pine-Richland coach Kurt Wolfe said. “We seem to be the cure for their hitting woes.”
Butler defeated the Rams 14-5 back on April 4, but had not hit well in a section game since.
Nine Butler players had hits, eight scored runs and seven had RBI on this night.
“We needed this and hopefully, this game will give us momentum now,” Erdos said. “We've been doing the hitting drills hard, going back to basics.”
Fennell went 4-for-4 and drove in the game-ending run with a two-out infield single in the sixth. Williamson was on second base to begin the play, got hung up between third and home, but beat the throw to the plate to finish the game via the 10-run rule.
Pine-Richland stranded eight runners, including six in scoring position.
“That's how it's been going for us in recent games,” Wolfe said. “Other teams are getting the big hit, we're not scoring with bases loaded, no outs, or situations like that.
“This section is brutal. If you don't show up and play well every year, every night, you're gonna get eaten up. And we're getting eaten up right now.”
Colin McKee went the distance on the mound for the Tornado, throwing 92 pitches. He allowed both Ram runs in the first inning, throwing 20 pitches.
“Then he settled down and kept putting up zeros, giving us time to chip away,” Erdos said. “That's Colin McKee. He makes big pitches when we need them.”