JOHNSTOWN — Nate Spohn promised his teammates he’d pitch one more inning if they scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth during Friday night’s AAABA League championship playoff opener.

“I told them if we tied it up I still had one more inning in me,” Spohn said. “We tied it up. I went out there and got them out. Then we ended the game.”

The Berkley Hills Renegades left-hander kept his word after Johnny Jones’ two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth tied the game against Martella’s Pharmacy.

In the top of the 10th, Spohn did what he had done consistently throughout the opener of a best-of-5 series. He retired Martella’s in order for the eighth time in 10 chances.

The Renegades scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 10th to win 5-4 and take a 1-0 series advantage. Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. at the Point.

“Nate just threw a gem with 13 Ks,” Renegades manager Larry McCabe said. “We had that tough inning where Martella’s got some runs. Give them credit, they battled. Their pitcher pitched one heck of a ballgame.

“I’m really proud of our kids, battling when we were down 4-1 with three outs to go. We did what we had to do.”

Spohn and Martella’s right-hander Derek Younker, the league’s Pete Vuckovich Award winner, dueled throughout the contest.

“Those are two good pitchers and I think it’s what everybody expected,” Martella’s manager Chris Pfeil said. “Both of those kids really gave gutsy efforts. Unfortunately, they got one more ball down than we did.”

At one point, the left-handed Spohn retired 11 straight and had faced only one batter over the minimum through six innings. He finished with 13 strikeouts and only two walks while giving up eight hits.

Younker was nearly as effective in eight-plus innings during a game that had been delayed 57 minutes after two innings because of heavy rain.

He struck out eight and walked three while scattering 10 hits.

Reliever Kyle Zambanini threw one-plus innings. Brett Marabito led off the 10th with a walk. League MVP Nate Campbell’s sacrifice bunt attempt and a throwing error into the right-field corner allowed Marabito to score the game-winner.

“It’s a five-game series and we’ve got to bounce back,” Pfeil said. “That’s all there is to it. You’ve got to give them credit for a comeback and winning the game.

“We’ve got to make plays and execute. Our pitchers made good pitches, they just got some balls that got down.”

Jones and Matt Kastelic had back-to-back infield singles, and Dan Gray walked to load the bases with one out in the fourth. Campbell, the league’s batting champion, singled in a run.

The Renegades had a great opportunity to break open the game in the bottom of the sixth.

Jones had an infield single and Kastelic reached by beating out a sacrifice bunt attempt. Gray’s sacrifice bunt try was misplayed, loading the bases with no outs.

Using a drawn-in infield, Martella’s made two big plays. Marabito hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Matt McMillen, who threw home for a force out. Campbell then hit a grounder to shortstop Jesse Cooper, who threw to catcher Pat Gully for the second out. Younker struck out Dylin Brooks to end the inning.

“We were able to get two ground balls and Derek struck the guy out to end the inning,” Pfeil said. “Then we came right back in and put four up. You would have thought that would have been enough but we ran into some problems in the ninth.”

Martella’s collected six hits and sent 10 batters to the plate in a four-run seventh.

With one out, McMillen singled and stole second. He scored on Tony Strasiser’s single to left, but Strasiser was picked off for the second out.

Jimmy Stenger doubled to left-center field. Luke Williams walked, and Gully singled home Stenger. Brian Weightman walked, and Jesse Cooper and Dan Abbenante each followed with run-producing singles.

Down to their final at-bat, the Renegades capitalized on yet another bases-loaded situation.

In the bottom of the ninth, Marabito, Brooks, Jason Shirley and Jones each singled, and Kastelic and Campbell walked.

Jones’ two-out, two-run single tied the game at 4-all. Shirley’s perfectly placed infield single near the mound had driven in the other run.

“You weather the storm by making plays, but you’ve got to sit back and look at Nate Spohn,” McCabe said. “The courage that he showed. We’re tied after nine. He looked at me and said, ‘Coach, I want to go back out.’

“His pitch count was down. He had 61 pitches after six innings,” McCabe added. “He was in a position where he could finish out. I said to him, ‘One more is all you get.’ It worked out for us.”

Spohn accepted the challenge.

“I never threw that many innings so it was new territory for me,” Spohn said. “When you get late in the game, you’re going to get tired, your legs, arms, everything. You’ve got to focus on your mechanics and throw strikes.”