JACKSON TWP — Vince Augustine, Corbin Kessler and Zach Wilson demonstrated how the Seneca Valley baseball team's comfort in the batters box has grown during a Section 1-AAAA matchup Friday at Raider Field.

All three connected on timely hits, helping the Raiders clinch the section crown with a 7-2 win over Butler. Seneca Valley, which started the season 1-4, has won nine of its last 10 games.

The Raiders (10-5, 8-2) finished with 13 hits against the Golden Tornado. Kessler was 3-for-4, including a home run and a double.

“It showed where we were the whole season,” Kessler said. “We were off to a bad start in the beginning of the year and people doubted us. To take the section was pretty important.”

Augustine hit a two-run home run and Wilson drove in a run with a single that put Seneca Valley up 3-0 in the third inning.

Raiders coach Eric Semega said Seneca Valley tried a lot of different lineups during the first five games. Semega said he wanted to try some things against non-section opponents.

Three of the Raiders' early losses came to non-section foes.

“You can't get into a rhythm getting one at-bat a game,” Semega said. “The games, with the exception of Shaler where it got away from us in the sixth, we played well. We just didn't have a key hit. I didn't think we were in a slump.”

Kessler extended the Raiders lead in the sixth. With Seneca Valley ahead 3-1, Kessler stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded.

He smoked a pitch over the left-field fence for a grand slam.

“I wanted to put something into the outfield with the bases loaded,” Kessler said. “It looked fat and I just threw my hands into it.”

That home run gave Raiderstarting pitcher Branden Schlick plenty of breathing room.

Schlick struck out 10 batters and allowed seven hits in seven innings of work.

“To be successful, you have to hit your spots and change speeds,” Schlick said.

It was a near duplicate performance from the teams' April 17 matchup, where Schlick struck out 11 in the Raiders' 7-1 win over Butler.

“I think they shortened their swing a little bit and stayed back on the breaking ball,” said Butler coach Todd Erdos of how his team adjusted to Schlick. “A lot of guys still had trouble the whole game, he kept us off-balance.”

When Butler (8-9, 5-5) found a way to get on base, Seneca Valley worked out of it.

In the top of the fourth, Ian Steighner and Luke Baranchak opened with singles off Schlick. Following a sacrifice bunt by Dallas Hays, Reid Werth singled to cut the lead to 3-1.

Seneca Valley catcher Mike Collins threw out Werth stealing and Schlick got Lake Sankey to pop out to end the jam.

“Most definitely, having Mike Collins behind the plate helps,” Schlick said. “He can throw people out like no other catcher I've worked with before.”

Butler also put Schlick in a tight spot in the seventh. Mark Gross drew a one-out walk. Connor Ollio followed with a single and Nathan Kibbie singled in a run.

Conner Thomas then walked to load the bases, but Schlick struck out Steighner and got Baranchak to ground out to end the game.

Seneca Valley would have shared the section title with a loss. Semega wanted a sense of urgency in his team's performance.

The hitters continued to deliver.

“We approached it as a playoff game today,” Semega said. “We didn't want to lose this game. To possibly have the playoffs be different in how we would be seeded.”

Butler 000 100 1 — 2 8 1

Seneca Valley 003 004 x — 7 13 0

W: Branden Schlick 7IP (10K, 3BB). L: Zach Henderson 6IP (3K, 0BB).

Butler (8-9, 5-5): Mark Gross 1B, Ian Steighner 1B, Nathan Kibbie 2-1B RBI, Luke Baranchak 1B, Reid Werth 1B RBI, Connor Ollio 1B

Seneca Valley (10-5, 8-2): Corbin Kessler 1B 2B HR 4-RBI, Lane Palmer 2-1B, Zach Wilson 2-1B RBI, Nate Owen 3-1B, Vince Augustine HR 2-RBI, Mike Collins 2-1B, Shane Hepner 1B

Next: Butler at Fox Chapel, Monday; Montour at Seneca Valley Tuesday