ROBINSON TWP — Calling it small ball would be going too far.

Riverside executed five key bunts Friday afternoon, setting up all of its runs in a 4-2 first round WPIAL Class AA baseball playoff win over Freeport at Burkett Field.

“It does sound strange to say it, but bunts beat us today,” Freeport coach Chris Graczyk said. “They were perfect bunts. There was nothing we could do.”

The Yellowjackets took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Kris Keppel walked, moved to second on a Matt Swartz single and scored on an errant throw as Riverside failed to turn a double play. Yellowjacket sophomore left-hander Nate Pastorek tossed three hitless innings before Peyton Pacella greeted him with a single to center to begin the fourth. Then the bunts came into play.

Jason Pettner laid down a bunt that hugged the first base line and beat it out for a single. Trevor Moser bunted a ball in nearly the same spot and Pastorek had to scramble off the mound to throw him out.

Jason Dambach singled to right to tie the game. No. 8 hitter Dylan Speicher then threw his bat at the ball on a suicide squeeze play and succeeded in deadening a bunt in the infield grass, playing the go-ahead run.

Riverside senior right-hander Pettner, who began the game with a 1.14 earned run average, took that 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

“This has been a dream season for him,” Panthers coach Dan Oliastro said. “He's been a back-up for his first three years in the program.

“Today marked his seventh win of the year.”

But he needed help from his defense to get it.

With two outs in the sixth, Freeport's Noah Shannon singled to right. He moved to second on a wild pitch.

With two outs, Josh Beale singled to right. Graczyk waved Shannon around third, but the runner was an easy out at the plate to end the inning.

“I was trying to tie the game there,” Graczyk said. “Maybe the outfield grass is wet, who knows? It took a good throw to get him and the kid made a great throw.”

Pastorek walked No. 9 hitter Clay Whitlach to open the seventh. Vinny Howells tried bunting Whitlach to second and pushed the bunt past charging first baseman Swartz for a hit. Mike Boswell laid down a sacrifice bunt and Ross Maietta, hitting .471 on the year, was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Pacella was hit by a pitch to force in a run Pettner delivered a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-1.

“They put some bunts in the right places,” Pastorek said. “We knew they were capable of doing it. We didn't know whether they would do it.”

Riverside did it at the right time.

“This was the first game we've bunted well all year,” Oliastro said. “We've worked on it and worked on it ... Today, it paid off.

“We had to play small ball. Their kid (Pastorek) kept us off balance. we certainly didn't club him around today.”

The Yellowjackets added a run in their half of the seventh when Pastorek doubled to right with two outs and scored on Hunter Fennell's single to left.

Pettner threw 71 of his 104 pitches for strikes. Pastorek took a 1.69 ERA into the contest.

“We're losing some quality seniors, for sure, but this team has a lot of upside,” Graczyk said. “We've got a lot of good sophomores and juniors.”

Riverside 000 200 2 — 4 6 2

Freeport 100 000 1 — 2 8 1

W:Jason Pettner 7IP (6K, 1BB). L: Nate Pastorek 7IP (3K, 3BB).

Riverside (12-5): Vinny Howells 1B, Ross Maietta 1B, Peyhton Pacella 1B RBI, Jason Pettner 1B RBI, Trevor Moser 1B, Jason Dambach 1B RBI, Dylan Speicher RBI

Freeport (11-6): Matt Swartz 1B, Noah Shannon 1B, Josh Beale 1B, Jake Lutz 1B, Nate Pastorek 2B 1B, Hunter Fennell 2-1B RBI