Banner Moment
BUTLER TWP — Championship banners surround Adelman Field.
Butler Township's 11-under team worked especially hard to add another one Friday night, rallying from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Oil City, 6-5 in the District 25 baseball championship game.
“These kids earned this one,” BT manager Mark Wheeler said. “They play every inning hard.”
Butler Township swept the double-elimination tournament. A loss Friday evening would have forced a winner-take-all game Saturday in Oil City.
Three-run rallies in the fourth and sixth innings prevented that game from happening.
“We have to tip our caps to Butler Township,” Oil City manager Scott Stahl said. “That is one never-say-die team.
“This is the first all-star tournament experience for our kids and we played well. We didn't make errors and we hit the ball, forcing them to make plays. Both teams did that. Both teams should be proud tonight.”
Holden Stahl's towering home run to left field — his second in as many nights after failing to homer all season — helped give Oil City a 2-0 second-inning lead. Alex Meals delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to extend the Oilers' lead to 4-0 in the third.
Held to one hit and one baserunner in the first three innings, Butler Township got busy in the fourth. Hayden Wheeler doubled to right, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Zack Slomers' infield single. Kyle Weitzel grounded into a force play, but reached second on a wild pitch and scored on Josh Bonetti's line single to center.
Bonetti moved up on a passed ball and scored on Anthony Malloy's two-out single to right, cutting the gap to 4-3.Oil City tacked on a run in the fourth and starting pitcher Colby Rybak retired the side in order in the fifth.“We were getting the bat on the ball,” Wheeler said. “We had to be patient. Our kids get a little crazy on the bench, but each one stays focused when he steps up to the plate.“These kids all know there's a job to do.”That job was completed in the sixth.Hayden Wheeler began the inning with a single to center, ending the evening for Rybak on the mound.“He was running out of gas. This was a pressure-packed game,” Stahl said.Two relief pitchers could not quell BT's winning rally. Slomers walked and Weitzel singled home a run. Bonetti lifted a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game.Remy Pardo delivered a solid single to right, plating Weitzel with the eventual game-winning run.Weitzel also got the win on the mound. He relieved starter Bonetti after four frames and threw two hitless innings, striking out two.Weitzel retired the side in order in the sixth, ending the game with a strikeout.“Nothing fazes him,” Wheeler said. “Kyle is always very calm and collected. Having a player like that comes in handy in tight games like this.“It's all about the banner for our teams. There's great tradition at this field. Now the kids can hang this banner with the others and know it's there for the rest of their lives.”Butler Township travels to DuBois Thursday to compete in the five-team section tournament. Winner of that double-elimination tourney advances to the state tournament.
11-Under District 25 ChampionshipButler Twp. 000 303 — 6 9 2Oil City 022 100 — 5 8 0W: Kyle Weitzel 2IP (2K, 1BB). L: Alec Klapec 0IP (0K, 1BB).Butler Township: Hayden Wheeler 2B 1B 2-R, Zack Slomers 1B RBI R, Kyle Weitzel 1B RBI 2-R, Josh Bonetti 1B 2-RBI R, Remy Pardo 1B RBI, Anthony Malloy 2-1B RBI, Ben Thrash 1BOil City: Tyshon Law 2B R, Ethan Cochran 1B, Alec Klapec 2-1B RBI R, Colby Rybak 2B R, Holden Stahl HR, Alex Meals 2B 1B 2-RBI RThursday: Butler Township at DuBois for section tournament
