The game and the season was slipping away.

The Butler baseball team could only muster two hits in the first six innings against North Allegheny starting pitcher Mitchell Machi.

Butler needed a hero.

Colin McKee was ready.

With the bases loaded following a sharp single by Mick Fennell, a double by Dante Dorcy and an intentional walk to Dalton Koebler, McKee stepped to the plate against North Allegheny relief pitcher Chris Helkowski.

On a 1-2 count, McKee smacked a two-run single to right to give the Golden Tornado a 2-1 win at Pullman Park Monday night.

“I was pulling out a little bit on (the first two strikes),” McKee said. “My first at-bat was four straight fastballs away. On 1-2, I moved up in the box and slapped it the other way.”

The hit made a winner of McKee on the mound, as well.

McKee was masterful, striking out four and giving up just three hits in seven innings.

The only run he surrendered came in the fourth on an RBI single by Jim Divosevic.

“Colin was tremendous,” said Butler coach Todd Erdos. “He was throwing strikes all game long.”

McKee worked out of a jam in the top of the seventh, stranding Divosevic at second after a leadoff double.

“That was huge,” Erdos said. “Keeping that runner from scoring really made a difference. It's a lot harder coming back from two runs down in the seventh than it is one. It gives us a little better chance.”

Butler (10-4, 5-4) was hitting the ball hard against Machi most of the game, but his defense was making plays.

Divosevic tracked down a drive off the bat of Koebler that traveled more than 400 feet to center to lead off the bottom of the fifth.

North Allegheny shortstop Brandon Bergstrom also had a strong game defensively with six assists, including gunning down Tom Bruce, who led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double, at third on a ground ball by Colin Williamson.

“It was a tough mental battle. It was a well-played game all around,” Erdos said. “Good pitching. Runs and hits were tough to come by. Give credit to their defense. We hit some balls hard, but unfortunately right at them. Our kids dug down deep, tried to make some things happen, and came out on top.”

The win puts Butler a game behind Shaler (11-4, 6-3) and North Allegheny (8-8, 6-3) for the third and final playoff spot out of Section 1-AAAA with three league games remaining.

Shaler, though, swept the Golden Tornado in two meetings this season.

Butler, with 13 seniors on its roster, is well aware that there is much more work to be done.

“We just have to go out and win every inning,” McKee said. “We're a veteran team. We know what needs to be done. Every team in the section is winning games now. We just have to go out and take care of business.

“We want to make sure that last section game against Seneca Valley (May 7) means something.”

North Allegheny 000 100 0 — 1 3 0Butler 000 000 2 — 2 5 1No outs when winning run scoredW: Colin McKee 7IP (4K, 2BB).

L: Mitchell Machi 6IP (1K, 1BB).

North Allegheny (8-8, 6-3): Jim Divosevic 1B 2B RBI, Brandon Bergstrom 2B

Butler (10-4, 5-4): Mick Fennell 1B, Dante Dorcy 2B, McKee 2-1B 2-RBI, Tom Bruce 2B

Today: Butler at North Hills