BUTLER TWP — Efficiently excellent.

That's the best way to describe Kevin King's mound performance Saturday night as Butler Township remained in the winners' bracket of the Butler County Area Baseball League's double-elimination tournament with a 14-2 victory over Kiski at Highfield.

Top-seeded Butler Township (15-3) will host No. 2 seed Freeport (13-5) — which defeated Pine Richland on Saturday — Tuesday night for the right to advance to the King seat of the tournament.

“Kevin is our No. 2 pitcher, but he's thrown more innings than anyone because he just doesn't walk people,” Butler Township manager Tyler Friel said.

King threw 63 of his 92 pitches for strikes. He struck Kiski leadoff batter Billy Perroz with the first pitch of the game Saturday.

“I was thinking, 'uh-oh, that's not Kevin.' But then he settled right in,” Friel said.

A nine-run second inning by Butler Township helped him do so. Josh Grigoletti — who had four singles in as many at-bats — started that frame with a single to right. Bunt singles by Jake Slomers and Josh Bonetti were followed by Bryan Presco's two-run double to right.

Shawn Marcellus drilled a three-run double to right to highlight the inning as well.

“We seem to put together innings like that,” Grigoletti said. The team had a nine-run first frame against Center Township the night before.

“A couple of guys get hits and it just starts rolling,” Grigoletti said.

And King's pitching never let Kiski (9-6) pick up any kind of momentum.

Kiski stranded nine runners on base as its seven hits were scattered.

“I just throw strikes, let guys hit the ball,” King said. “We've got good fielders who are going to make the plays.

“I'm not a strikeout guy. I don't have that kind of stuff.”

As for walks?

“Maybe one or two this year,” King said. “I'm not gonna put guys on base like that.”

“Incredibly efficient,” Friel said. “He moves the game along.”

His defense appreciates it.

“Nobody's going to fall asleep in the field with Kevin on the mound,” Grigoletti said.

Butler Township banged out 14 hits. Everyone in its starting lineup scored at least one run. Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit.

Grigoletti and Nate Stutz both had two RBI and two runs scored. Marcellus had three RBI and scored twice. Presco and Remy Pardo had two RBI each.

“That's a very good team,” Knoch graduate and Kiski manager Aaron Albert said. “They hit the ball from top to bottom and they play smart baseball.

“Some of our kids have been in a travel tournament. This was their third game of the day. They've been playing a lot of baseball. Maybe it just caught up to them.”

Kiski starting pitcher Ryan Rametta worked the first five innings, throwing 98 pitches. He threw 47 pitches in the second inning.

“I don't know who's going to beat them,” Albert said. of Butler. “I just hope we get another shot at them.”

Karns City 15, Cranberry 5 — An eight-run sixth inning broke this game open for Karns City, which eliminated defending champion Cranberry. Saxonburg was knocked out of the tourney as well, losing to Center Township.

Lucas Larimore, Jacob Weckerley, Broc Weigle, Joe Dehart and Luke Whitcomb had multiple-hit games for KC. Larimore had three hits and Dehart homered.

Tye Elder went the distance, striking out two in getting the win.

Kiski 100 000 1 — 2 7 3

Butler Twp. 090 113 x — 14 14 4

W: Ryan Rametta 5IP (1K, 0BB). L: Kevin King 7IP (0K, 0BB).

Kiski (9-6): Billy Perroz 1B 2B RBI, Ryan Rametta 1B RBI, Mike Shoemaker 1B, Kyle Weiser 2B, Matt Skelly 1B, Mason Ross 1B

Butler Twp. (15-3): Ryan Linn 1B 2-R, Nate Stutz 1B 2-RBI 2-R, Shawn Marcellus 2B 3-RBI 2-R, Josh Grigoletti 4-1B 2-RBI 2-R, Jake Slomers 1B 2B RBI, Josh Bonetti 1B RBI, Bryan Presco 2B 2-RBI, Remy Pardo 2-1B 2-RBI, Kevin King 1B

Tuesday: Freeport at Butler Township, Center Township at Kiski, Karns City at Pine Richland