CALLERY — Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Mars II had watched its 5-0 lead shrink to just two runs in the top of the seventh inning in the opening game of a best-of-5 Eagle County League baseball semifinal series against Saxonburg Monday evening at Callery Field.

Mars II reliever Tyler Dean had retired just one of the four batters he faced in the frame as Saxonburg had runners at first and third with one out.

Mars II manager Eric King chose to bring in Nick Rossmiller, even though the latter is scheduled to start today's Game 2.

“Getting up a game (in a best-of-5 series) is huge,” said King. “You could see how badly both teams wanted it today. That's why I chose to bring Nick in.”

Rossmiller surrendered a sacrifice fly to Franze Barlamas that scored Brandon Wissinger, a run charged to Dean that made the score 5-4. But with the tying run on first base, the right-hander got Bobby Swartwout to hit a deep fly ball to center to end the game.

It was the end of a failed Saxonburg rally that began in the top of the fifth. Trailing 5-0, the team plated one run off of Mars II starting pitcher Tim Geibel when Ryan O'Connor's base hit brought home Andy Fritz.

Geibel worked the rest of that inning, aided by first-baseman Trent Smith's diving stop of a ball that was headed down the line. The fine defensive play was the final out of the inning and stranded two Saxonburg baserunners.

At the start of the next inning, Geibel had been pulled in favor of Dean.

“Tim just ran out of gas,” said King, “but he had made just one start before tonight. The fact he went five innings was good for us.”

Saxonburg made it 5-2 in the sixth when Dustin Uhlman drew a bases-loaded walk off of Dean. The latter then surrendered an RBI-single to Dustin Lalle in the seventh, which prompted King to put Rossmiller on the mound.

Mars II scored all of its runs in the second and third innings.

After retiring his opponent in order in the bottom of the first, Saxonburg starter Matt Baranchak began to labor in the next frame.

He walked the first three batters to load the bases, then allowed a run-scoring single to Smith. Rossmiller hit a sacrifice fly that scored Evan Oswald for a 2-0 edge.

Baranchak opened the third by walking Gabe Stephenson and hitting Geibel with a pitch. Andy Onufrak doubled them in and scored on another run-producing hit from Smith.

“Matt has an excellent slider that breaks off the plate,” said Saxonburg manager Dan Cunningham. “He wasn't getting those calls tonight and it frustrated the daylights out of him.”

Derek Sadowski pitched three shutout relief innings for Saxonburg, striking out five and not walking a batter.

“It was like we played two different ballgames tonight,” Cunningham added. “We just gave up one too many runs in the first half. We played well the last few innings. Hopefully, we can carry that momentum into the second game.”

The teams will meet for Game 2 at 6 p.m. today at Butler County Community College.

Saxonburg 000 011 2 — 4 7 1

Mars II 023 000 x — 5 5 3

W: Tim Geibel 5 IP (7K, 1BB). L: Matt Baranchak 3 IP (2K, 6BB). S: Nick Rossmiller 2/3 IP (0K, 0BB)

Saxonburg: Dustin Lalle 1B RBI, Franze Barlamas RBI, Bobby Swartwout R, Ryan Fennell 2-1B, Andy Fritz R, Dustin Uhlman RBI, Jay Cortese 1B, Zane Voltz 1B R, Ryan O'Connor 1B RBI, Brandon Wissinger 1B R

Mars II: Gabe Stephenson R, Evan Oswald 2-1B 2R, Andy Onufrak 2B R 2RBI, Trent Smith 2-1B 2RBI, Nick Rossmiller RBI, John DeWalt R

Today: Mars II vs. Saxonburg, Game 2 of a best-of-5 semifinal series at Butler County Community College