JEFFERSON TWP — Saxonburg was long on hitting. East Butler was short on pitching.

And one pitcher came a long, long way to toe the rubber Saturday night at Laura Doerr Park.

It all added up to a 15-6 BCAL Tournament win for Saxonburg, ending East Butler's baseball season short of the league title game for the first time in four years.

“We've been short on pitching all season,” East Butler manager Russ Scott said. “Tonight we threw Hunter (Scott) with a bad shoulder, Garrett Banner gave us two innings and he's playing another game later tonight, (David) Matson pitched after throwing 100 pitches two days ago, Dallas Hays has a bad back ... All of those guys were trying to get us through this game.”

But defending league champion Saxonburg would have none of it.

The hosts exploded for six runs on seven hits in the first inning, knocking out starting pitcher Scott with one out in the inning. By the end of the third inning, Saxonburg had a 9-0 lead and 11 hits.

Since dropping its BCAL tourney opener to Meridian, Saxonburg has collected 34 runs and 34 hits in its last two games. Dom Bucko led off the bottom of the first inning Saturday with an opposite-field home run to left.

“We're hitting the ball well as a team,” Saxonburg manager Mike Hickey said. “We're being patient with the count at the plate and getting a lot of good at bats.”

Saxonburg used a 10-man lineup Saturday, employing the extra hitter. The middle four hitters in that lineup — Dylan Swarmer, Garrett Traggiai, Mike McCarty and Andy Pipes — combined to collect 10 hits in 14 at bats, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored.

“That's fantastic. You can't ask for anything more than that,” Hickey said.

Well, actually, he did.

Hickey asked his son, Logan, to return from vacation in Oak Island, N.C., in time to pitch Saturday night's game. Logan obliged by leaving Oak Island at 5:30 a.m. Saturday.

“It was a 12-hour drive and we made one brief stop,” Logan Hickey said. “I got here about 5:30 p.m. and changed into my uniform.

“My legs were sore. My back was sore. I had trouble getting loose. But all I had to do was throw strikes and let my defense do the work.”

Though five innings, Hickey had thrown just 55 pitches and had that 9-0 lead. But East Butler made a run at him in the sixth.

Matson's RBI double got East Butler on the board with nobody out and Hunter Scott followed with a three-run homer to left. Saxonburg committed three errors in the inning and another run crossed the plate, cutting the gap to 9-5.

With two on, two outs and Dallas Hays coming to the plate, manager Hickey summoned Bucko to the mound.

“Dom's got a cannon for an arm and Dallas is a good hitter. I'm sure he was looking for the fastball,” manager Hickey said. “Dom struck him out on a curve. That was a big out at the time.”

Saxonburg responded with six runs in the bottom of the sixth. Traggiai delivered a two-run single and Ben McMillen had a run-scoring single. Three hit batsmen and a walk helped fuel the frame as well.

All 10 hitters in Saxonburg's lineup either scored or knocked in at least one run. Traggiai, McCarty and Pipes had three RBI each.

Hunter Scott was 3-for-3 with three RBI for East Butler.

“We put the bat on the ball,” manager Scott said. “The balls didn't start falling in for us until that sixth inning.

“It was hard to believe Saxonburg and East Butler were both in the loser's bracket. No matter the outcome of this game, I came into it believing either one of us could still rally and win the whole thing.”

Saxonburg returns to tourney action Tuesday, hosting Kiski at 6 p.m. at Laura Doerr Park.

East Butler 000 005 1 — 6 7 2

Saxonburg 603 006 x — 15 15 4

W: Logan Hickey 5.2IP (4K, 3BB). L: Hunter Scott 0.1IP (0K, 0BB).

East Butler (14-8): Tyler Markilinski 1B, Ian Steighner 2-R, David Matson 2B RBI, Hunter HR 2-1B 3-RBI, Brandon Hildebrand RBI, Colby McClelland 1B, Braxton Hildebrand 1B

Saxonburg (16-4): Dom Bucko HR 2B RBI, Logan Hickey 1B, Addis Crouch 1B 2-R, Dylan Swarmer 2B 2-RBI 3-R, Garrett Traggiai 3-1B 3-R 3-RBI, Mike McCarty 3B 1B 3-RBI 2-R, Andy Pipe 3B 2-1B 3-RBI 2-R, Ben McMillen 1B RBI, Matt Cornetti 1B RBI

Tuesday: Kiski at Saxonburg