JEFFERSON TWP — After his team's lackluster regular season, Saxonburg manager Pete McMillen was hoping his squad could make a run in the Butler County Area Baseball League's double-elimination tournament.

But Saxonburg had to first get past East Butler in Sunday's play-in game and when the bottom of the fifth rolled around, McMillen's team was facing a 6-3 deficit at Laura Doerr Park.

Storm clouds had begun to surround the field and McMillen felt he needed to instill some urgency in his players.

“I told them that if we're trailing after five innings and this game gets called, we lose,” McMillen said. “Mother Nature is staring down at us. They responded.”

Saxonburg erupted for five runs on five hits in the inning, the storm clouds passed by and McMillen's team went on to earn a 9-6 victory to extend its season.

With top-seeded Freeport (11-1-1) unable to use its home field in Tuesday's first round, it will visit Saxonburg (4-10), but play as the home team.

Isaac Love doubled in Blaze Voltz for Saxonburg's first run in the fifth, cutting East Butler's lead to 6-4. Gavin Phillips drove in a fifth run with a sacrifice fly before Caleb Traggiai, Rocky Kopac and Dathan Gillis each had an RBI-single to give Saxonburg an 8-6 lead.

That would be more than enough for Blaze Voltz, who had taken the mound in the midst of East Butler's 6-run second inning. After breezing through the first inning, Kopac, Saxonburg's starter, ran into immediate trouble in the second. Four errors didn't help him, but East Butler's bats also added to the onslaught.

Mike Wiles brought in two runs with a single while Alex Collins and Bortmas both had RBI-singles.

Voltz came in with two outs and allowed no further damage while leaving the bases loaded.

“We didn't throw him into the best situation,” said McMillen. “He had some trouble with his control, but ended up finding his groove.”

In particular, Voltz had to sweat through a tense top of the fourth inning. He walked the first two batters of the inning, though Seth Stephenson was thrown out attempting to steal second base.

Clay Collins singled and Bortmas then walked with two outs to load the bases before Voltz got out of the inning when he got Hunter Green to watch a called third strike.

“I was starting each batter off with a fastball, then moving to my curve,” said Voltz. “My defense played well and Angelo (DeLeonardis) did a great job behind the plate.”

East Butler left 11 on base, including the bases loaded twice.

“Those things come back to bite you,” said East Butler manager Paul Patten.

Bortmas started on the mound for East Butler (1-13) and endured a rough first inning with three runs scored against him. Gillis singled in one run, but the other two runs scored on a wild pitch and an error.

Bortmas then rebounded with three straight scoreless frames before Saxonburg rose up in the fifth.

“He really settled down,” said Patten, who watched his team earn its lone win this season last Thursday against West Sunbury. “We have four or five players in their first year of Colt baseball, but they're playing for us. We're young, but they're getting that experience. We'll be the team to beat in a few years.”

Brayden Hageter pitched the final two innings for East Butler. His wild pitch allowed courtesy runner Isaac Roddy to score in the sixth, but the run was charged to Bortmas, who walked the leadoff batter before being pulled.

Prior to the game, Love was awarded one of three $1,000 scholarships presented annually by the BCABL. He was one of 23 final-year players in the league to write an essay concerning the benefits of playing community baseball.

East Butler 060 000 0 — 6 9 2

Saxonburg 300 051 x — 9 8 5

W: Blaze Voltz 5.1 IP (4K, 6BB). L: Mike Bortmas 5+ IP (3K, 4BB).

East Butler (1-13): Clay Collins 2-1B, Mike Bortmas 2-1B RBI, Mike Wiles 3-1B R 2RBI

Saxonburg (4-10): Dathan Gillis 2-1B 2RBI, Isaac Love 2B R RBI

Tuesday: Freeport at Saxonburg, BCABL first-round playoff, 6 p.m.