BUTLER TWP — Every once in a while, a baseball team has an inning in which everything goes its way.

For Butler, it was the bottom of the sixth Thursday.

Trailing Pine-Richland 5-2, Butler scored 10 runs on six hits, sending 13 batters to the plate in the process.

The Golden Tornado then withstood a Rams rally in the top of the seventh to escape with a crucial 12-9 section victory at Highfield Park.

"We told the guys that we needed baserunners (in the sixth)," said Butler coach Dave Florie. "The first few guys got on and we just went from there. I guess you would call it momentum."

The game began Wednesday but was suspended in the top of the second with the Rams leading 1-0.

Butler's sixth inning began when Pine-Richland reliever Matt Berezo gave up a single to John Crummy.

Following a walk to Roman Bargo, Jeff Slater laid down a sacrifice bunt in an attempt to move his teammates to second and third.

The ball rolled up the first-base line and Pine-Richland catcher Brendan Scioscia picked it up, believing it had rolled into foul territory.

But the home plate umpire ruled that half the ball was still on the line, and Butler had the bases loaded with no outs.

Evan Oswald's sacrifice fly scored Crummy to cut Butler's deficit to 5-3, but the Golden Tornado were just getting started.

With the bases loaded, Darren Blakley's grounder was misplayed by Rams second baseman Vinny Nittoli, allowing Bargo and Slater to score and tie the game.

Courtesy runner Nick Rossmiller and Blakley each scored on wild pitches.

P-R's Zach Laneve relieved Berezo with two outs, but Butler received run-scoring hits from Crummy, Bargo, Slater and Oswald to make the score 12-5.

"We've let things get to us all year," said Rams coach Kurt Wolfe. "On the one play, our catcher said the ball was foul and the umpire said it was fair. ... OK, but we've got to learn to put things behind us. If we have a call against us, it just starts to snowball."

But the Rams (6-7, 2-5) had a rally of their own.

Butler's Tim Geibel, the eventual winning pitcher who relieved starter Zach Cuffman in the third inning, had the Rams down to their last out with a man on first base before giving up three straight hits — the last a three-run homer to right by Pine-Richland's Brad Lalli that made the score 12-9.

Butler's Greg Hays was brought in to close the deal.

The senior surrendered singles to Mitch Elliot and Berezo before getting Scioscia to flyout to center fielder Jeff Slater.

"Tim (Geibel) did a very good job of keeping us in the game," said Florie. "We brought Greg in because he throws the most strikes, and, at that time, that's all we needed."

The Rams left nine runners on base in the game.

"You can look back on a game of baseball and say what if? What if?" said Wolfe. "But the bottom line is, when you score nine runs, you have to find a way to win."

The Golden Tornado (9-4, 6-2) are tied with Shaler (6-2) for second place in Section 1-AAAA.

Pine-Richland 111 200 4— 9 14 2Butler 001 10(10) x—12 10 2W: Tim Geibel 4Z\cIP (2 K, 0 BB).

L: Vinny Nittoli 5IP (5 K, 2 BB).

Pine-Richland (6-7, 2-5): Mitch Elliot 3-1B R, Matt Berezo 2-1B 2R, Brendan Scioscia 1B, T.J. Kuban 1B 2B 3 RBI, Vinny Nittoli R RBI, Matt Yoklic R, Steve Freehling 2-1B R, Brad Hammer 2-1B R RBI, Brad Lalli 1B HR 2R 3 RBI

Butler (9-4, 6-2): Darren Blakley 2-1B R RBI, Dustin Uhlman 2B 2 RBI, John Crummy 2-1B 2R RBI, Jeff Slater 1B 2B 2R 2 RBI, Roman Bargo 1B 2R RBI, Tim Geibel 2B, Nick Rossmiller 2R, Evan Oswald 1B 2 RBI, Alek Bollinger R

Saturday: Ellwood City vs. Butler at Highfield Park, noon