The Knoch and Riverside baseball teams combined for 19 runs, nine errors and 16 hits in the first four innings, which lasted 90 minutes.

It was ugly baseball — not uncommon for March in western Pennsylvania.

Then, as if a switch was flipped, both teams settled down in the final three innings.

Jack Bartek threw three no-hit frames for Knoch and the Knights survived with a 10-9 win in their season opener over Riverside Tuesday afternoon at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” said Knoch coach Sean O'Donnell. “But at least we got a win out of it. That's all we're going to say about this game. That's why you play exhibition games early.”

It was a sloppy game for both teams.

Knoch took advantage of an error in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead and then tacked on two more in the bottom of the second when Braden Tristani laced a sharp single to left that scored Isaac Roddy.

But the ball got past the Blackhawk left fielder and rolled all the way to the Pullman Park wall, allowing Tristani to score.

Riverside stormed ahead 4-3 in the top of the third against Knoch starter Gavin Phillips, again aided by an error and a pair of walks.

Knoch center fielder Ethan Sloane made the best defensive play in the game, however, with a diving snag of a sinking line drive off the bat of Aaron Falk.

The Knights put seven more runs on the board in the bottom of the third inning, thanks to two errors, a two-run single by Isaac Love and a two-run double by Sean McGill.

All seven runs in the inning were unearned.

“We have a lot of new kids in new positions right now and we're trying to find our way,” said Riverside coach Dan Oliastro. “We're getting there. The inning when they got seven just killed us.”

Monday, Riverside won 1-0 over Freedom as Nic Ottaviani threw a no-hitter.

He had a perfect game with one out in the seventh before an error broke it up.

“It was one of the best no-hitters I've ever seen,” said the longtime Riverside coach. “But we were terrible today.”

Both teams struggled until Bartek and Riverside pitcher Ben Hughes took to the hill.

Knoch managed just two singles against Hughes.

Bartek was better, striking out three and allowing only one ball out of the infield.

“It got to be 10-9 and (Bartek) is our horse,” O'Donnell said. “It's early, but you can't play for tomorrow. You have to get the win today. He definitely showed his senior leadership today.”

O'Donnell is hoping the fielding struggles are just an aberration.

“I don't know if it is; it's the first game of the year,” O'Donnell said. “It's an ab aberration for what we've seen at Knoch the last few years. You can't just show up with Knoch on the jersey and think it'll be OK. You have to work for it. Time will tell if it's an aberration or the norm. It depends on how we correct things and figure it out.”

Riverside 004 500 0 — 9 7 4

Knoch 127 000 x — 10 11 5

W: Jack Bartek 3IP (3K, 1BB). L: Madden Boehm 1IP (2K, 3BB).

Riverside (1-1): Drew Speicher 1B 2B 2-RBI, Nic

Dan Oliastro Ottaviani RBI, Kevin Kolesar 2B 3-RBI, Ben Hughes 1B, Aaron Falk 2-1B RBI, Boehm 1B RBI

Knoch (1-0): Ethan Sloane 2-1B, Isaac Love 2-1B 2-RBI, Sean McGill 1B 2B 3-RBI, Gavin Phillips 1B, Isaac Roddy 1B, Guy DeLeonardis RBI, Bartek 1B, Braden Tristiani 2-1B RBI

Thursday: Deer Lakes at Knoch at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park