BUTLER TWP— Senior Day turned into a senior moment Wednesday for the Butler baseball team.

The Golden Tornado surrendered eight runs in the top of the first inning, but they rallied for a 14-10 triumph over North Allegheny at Highfield Park.

Butler turned around a 10-5 deficit by collecting nine runs and nine hits against three Tigers pitchers in the sixth inning.

"We just couldn't get anybody out,"North Allegheny coach Tim Banner said.

With the victory, the Tornado are two wins out of a playoff berth with three section games remaining.

Butler seniors Dallas O'Donnell, Andy Onufrak, Jordan Roycroft, Brian Warheit and Jon Bell were honored before the game.

"A loss today and we were pretty much dead,"Butler coach Dave Florie said. "I'm proud of our seniors."

Butler's outlook was bleak early as NA's first four batters hit safely against Tornado starter Warheit. The fourth hit — a two-run double by Jack Connolly — appeared to bounce foul near third base, but it was ruled fair.

Warheit was pulled with two outs in the first after throwing 52 pitches. Tim Geibel replaced him and allowed a two-run single to Marek Lapinski that gave the Tigers an 8-0 lead.

North Allegheny sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning.

The Tornado scored four runs with two outs in the second inning on a two-run double by Dustin Uhlman and a two-run single by Onufrak.

Geibel allowed the Tigers only two hits over the final six innings. Still, Butler entered the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 10-5.

"Everyone came in ready to hit,"center fielder Roycroft said. "All we needed was to get a few runners on base."

Banner pulled starting pitcher Rick Raraigh after the fifth inning. He had thrown 108 pitches and walked five.

"He was struggling,"Banner said. "They were getting baserunners in every inning. I thought he had enough."

"With the lead we had, you expect to get people out. If we have to score 20 runs to win a game, we're not gonna win very many," he added.

The Tornado sent 14 batters to the plate in the sixth. Onufrak delivered two RBIsingles in the frame and the first five batters of the inning reached base.

Jamie Masciarelli's one-out single to right plated Bill Coleman with the tying run. Darren Blakley's sacrifice fly gave Butler the lead. Dustin Uhlman's two-run double and Onufrak's second RBIhit of the inning provided insurance tallies.

Tim Geibel set the visitors down in order in the seventh to nail down the improbable victory.

"When Timmy first came in, he could afford to be loose because we were down by so much,"Florie said. "When we started coming back, there was more pressure on him and he responded well.

"Live long enough and you'll see everything. I never saw anything like this before today,"Florie added.

Uhlman and Onufrak had four RBIeach for Butler. The Tornado banged out 16 hits.

"I've never been part of anything like this,"Onufrak said. "We were down, coming off the field after that first inning. But we still had seven innings to hit. You just have to keep playing baseball."

N. Allegheny 801 001 0—10 8 1Butler 040 019 x—14 16 2Rick Raraigh (5so, 5bb), Mike Zelik (6, 0 K, 2BB), Isaac Marx (6, L, 0 K, 1BB), Ian Overbaugh (6, 0K, 0BB) and Overbaugh, Dylan Songer (6); Brian Warheit (0 K, 4 BB), Tim Geibel (1, W, 2so,1bb) and Ryan Geibel.

North Allegheny (10-5, 5-5): Andy Trettel 2-1B 2-R, Rich Doyle 1BRBI2-R, Marek Lapinski 2-1B 3-RBI, Jack Connolly 2B2-RBI, Dave Bergstrom 2BRBI, David Duffett 1BRBI, Rick Raraigh 2-R

Butler (8-8, 3-6): Darren Blakley 2-1B2-R RBI, Dustin Uhlman 2-2B 4-RBI3-R, Andy Onufrak 3-1B4-RBI, Jordan Roycroft 2-1B, Bill Coleman 2-1BRBI, Ryan Geibel RBI, Tim Geibel 2-1B, Dallas O'Donnell 2B1BRBI, Eric King 1B 2-R

Thursday: Butler atKiski Area