EAST BUTLER — To say that Butler Township’s bats didn’t let up Tuesday night would be inaccurate — they were set down in order in the second inning.

In every other frame, however, they feasted on Freeport pitching.

The result was a 13-3, five-inning victory at Speed-O Field that sends Butler to the league championship round for the first time since it won it all in 2019.

Fourteen hits fueled the rout.

“We’ve been hitting the ball really well and our approach at the plate has been good the last two weeks,” said Butler manager Ty Friel. “It’s a great time to be getting hot at the plate. This team can hit from spots one through 10.”

The onslaught began with the first batter in the bottom of the first when Ethan Trettel tripled to right-center off Freeport’s Chris Hartman. David Leslie followed by clubbing a two-run home run to left.

Freeport punched back with three runs in the top of the second. Butler pitcher Braden Marcellus walked three batters in the inning. A double from Hartman, an RBI-single from Alec Asti and a sacrifice fly from AJ Demharter aided the effort.

“Walks killed us in that inning, but we played great defense,” Friel said. “CJ (Singleton) made a great stop in the hole at shortstop to get an out in the first inning and that set the tone.”

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the third, Butler tallied seven runs on seven hits to take a 9-3 lead.

After getting the first out of the frame, Hartman allowed five consecutive batters to reach base, including singles by Trettel, Leslie, Kyle Yost and Mattix Clement.

Clement’s line drive smacked off Hartman’s foot and the pitcher needed assistance in leaving the field in obvious pain.

Dylan Stonebraker took over on the mound and was greeted with Marcellus’ shot that smacked off the wall in left-center, scoring two runs.

It would be more than enough offense for Butler. Ryan Hepfl pitched scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth and Butler added four runs in the fourth, including a run-scoring double from Yost and another ball off the wall from Marcellus that plated another run.

The effort helped Butler close the game out via the 10-run mercy rule.

Freeport was limited to four hits.

“Our balls weren’t finding the gaps and their’s were finding the fence,” said Freeport manager Joe Hotalski.

Leslie finished the game with four RBI and is now batting .475.

He missed his freshman season at Grove City College this spring following elbow surgery.

“The last game I played in (before this season) was a playoff game for the high school team in 2021,” he said. “I’m a little surprised I’m doing this well, really got going after two or three games. I love playing with these guys.”

Freeport (11-7) falls to the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will next play Saturday at home against the winner of Thursday’s contest between Seneca Valley and Pine Richland.

The team that survives the weekend will face Butler Township (12-4) in the championship round at a date and site to be determined.

Freeport 030 00x x — 3 4 3

Butler Twp. 207 4xx x — 13 14 0

W: Braden Marcellus 3 IP (1K, 3BB). L: Chris Hartman 2.1 IP (1K, 1BB).

Freeport: Chris Hartman 2B, Alec Asti 2-1B R RBI

Butler Township: Ethan Trettel 2-1B 3B 3R RBI, David Leslie 1B HR 3R 4RBI, Kyle Yost 1B 2B 2R RBI, Braden Marcellus 3-1B R 3RBI, Hayden Thompson 1B R RBI

Saturday: Seneca Valley/Pine Richland winner at Freeport

TBD: SV/PR/Freeport at Butler Township, championship round