The Knoch baseball team has been looking for a day like this.

A day when the offense would erupt.

And erupt it did.

The Knights banged out 17 hits from 10 players, smashed three triples and scored in every inning but the fifth on the way to a 15-5 rout of Freeport in six innings Wednesday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park.

“About time we did that,” said leadoff hitter Dom Bucko, who had a two-run triple that clanked off the top of the right-centerfield wall in the six-run sixth. “We’ve been struggling at the plate. We’ve been staying after, hitting balls, doing a lot of extra work. Finally, it came around. Finally we put up 15 runs.”

Mike McCarty had a two-run triple of his own in the sixth inning. P.J. Gourley also tripled and had two singles and Addis Crouch had a two-run double to lead the Knoch onslaught against four Freeport pitchers.

“They hit the ball really well,” said Freeport coach Chris Graczyk. “It just didn’t go our way.”

The Yellowjackets had to piece together their pitching without No. 1 starter Nathan Pastorek, who pitched Monday against Highlands.

Zack Stokes started and lasted just 2 2/3 innings. A trio of relievers didn’t fare much better.

“It was a break-out day,” said Knoch coach George Bradley. “We probably hadn’t had our best hitting day yet. This was probably it.

“It’s been various reasons,” Bradley added. “Early on we were seeing flame throwers and we did OK. Then the word got out that we couldn’t hit the curveball and off-speed stuff, so we started seeing those guys. Today was special ... because they now feel confident.”

Knoch had a 5-0 lead after three innings, but Freeport launched a rally in the fourth inning, plating three runs. The big blow was a two-run triple by Derek Jones.

Graczyk said he was pleased with how his team fought back.

“No quit in us,” Graczyk said. “We won’t lay down for anybody.”

The Knights, though, answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. A two-run single by Dylan Swarmer capped the scoring.

Alex Stobert got the win, but wasn’t sharp.

Stobert has been battling an illness that also scratched Cole Shinsky from the lineup card against Freeport.

“There’s a virus going around,” Bradley said. “I just hope it doesn’t go through our whole team. At the Valley game, in the fourth inning, (Stobert got sick) and by the fifth inning he had to come out. After four innings (against Freeport) he said he could go one more.”

Stobert gave up four runs in five innings, striking out four and walking two.

He got out of two jams early thanks to baserunning miscues by Freeport.

“We had a couple of baserunning blunders early that cost us,” Graczyk said.

The win was a big one for Knoch (9-4, 8-2) as it keeps the Knights atop Section 5-AAA, a half-game up on Mars.

Even with the loss, Freeport (10-5, 5-4) is positioned to make the playoffs.

“That’s what’s fun about this section — it’s really competitive this year,” Graczyk said.

Freeport 000 311 x — 5 8 0

Knoch 122 406 x — 15 17 3

One out when mercy-rule run scored

W: Alex Stobert 5IP (4K, 2BB). L: Zack Stokes 2.2IP (3K, 4BB).

Freeport (10-5, 5-4): Justin Brestensky 2-1B RBI, Nevin DeCroo 1B, Josh Beale 1B RBI, Nathan Pastorek 2-1B, James Flema 1B, Derek Jones 3B 2-RBI

Knoch (9-4, 8-2): Dom Bucko 1B 3B 3-RBI, Logan Hickey 2-1B 2-RBI, Stobert 1B, P.J. Gourley 3B 2-1B RBI, Nick Guercio 1B RBI, Jake Herrit 2B RBI, Addis Crouch 2B 1B 2-RBI, Mike McCarty 1B 3B 3-RBI, Dylan Swarmer 2-1B 2-RBI, Brandon Kowalski

Friday: Knoch at Highlands; Mars at Freeport