PINE TWP — Ryne Wallace went 1-for-3 with the game winning RBI in the top of the sixth inning to help lift Kiski over Pine-Richland, 2-1, Thursday night in Butler County Area Baseball League playoff action at Pine-Richland High School.

“I went with my ace, Ryan Rametta, who came back from vacation,” Kiski coach Aaron Albert said. “He came back and I asked ‘Are you ready to go?’ and he said, ‘Give me the ball.’ He pounded the strike zone and thank god he did because we didn’t hit much.”

In total, Pine-Richland collected nine hits, while Kiski managed six.

Rametta struck out just four batters, but his defense behind him kept Pine-Richland off the board for most of the game.

Kiski took an early lead in the top of the first, but Pine-Richland answered back in the bottom of the fourth before Wallace collected the key hit in sixth.

“It was a very good game and that’s what you like to see,” Pine-Richland coach Brad Ansell said. “We had our chances to pull it out and they made some plays when they needed to, so hats off to them.”

Jonah Ansell went 2-for-3 with two singles for Pine-Richland, while Josh Palko had a single and a double.

Kiski now moves on to play Freeport on Saturday with the winner of that game scheduled to play Butler Township on Tuesday in the championship game.

“I’m good friends with Freeport’s high school coach, and we see them a lot during the regular season,” Albert said. “We’re very familiar with each other and they’re right down the hill from us, so little neighbor rivalry.”