JOHNSTOWN — The Berkley Hills Renegades jumped out to a big early lead Saturday night at Point Stadium against Martella’s Pharmacy and now hold a commanding 2-0 advantage in the best-of-5 AAABA League championship series after a 13-5 victory.

 The Renegades erupted for five runs in the second and one in the third to go up 6-0, but  Martella’s was able to chip away and eventually pulled within 7-3 in the sixth. However, the Renegades added multiple insurance runs in the seventh and eighth to put the contest out of reach.

“I was happy with how we came out swinging the bats against a tough pitcher,” said Berkley Hills manager Larry McCabe. “We put some runs up early and got six good innings from (winning pitcher A.J.) Rievel. It was a totally different game for us than (Friday) night.”

The Renegades’ offense clicked throughout their lineup as eight different players hit safely, five players drove in at least two runs, and all nine starters scored at least one run.

“We’re obviously not in the spot we wanted to be in,” said Martella’s manager Chris Pfeil.  “We got down early, then we missed some opportunities by stranding some runners. We just have to come out and be ready to play tomorrow.”

Game 3 is tonight at the Point.

Renegades first baseman Ryan Uhl drilled the first pitch of the top of the second inning over the center field fence to ignite the Berkley Hills rally.

“I was able to start off a good inning for us,” said Uhl, who hit his second postseason home run. “We just wanted to get off to a good start and put some runs on the board.

“A.J. threw well, and it was just a total team effort.”

 Jake Pribanic followed with a single, and John Jones drilled a double to left that made it

2-0. After Matt Kastelic reached on an error, catcher Dan Gray boomed a stand-up triple to deep center that drove in two more runs.  Brett Marabito’s run-scoring groundout capped off the rally and gave the Renegades a 5-0 lead.

A run-scoring triple by Jones in the top of the third plated the sixth Renegades run before Martella’s finally got on the board in the fourth. Back-to-back singles by Jesse Cooper and Dan Abbenante with two outs were followed by Dillon Boyer’s run-scoring hit that brought Martella’s within 6-1.

Pribanic’s sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth was answered by Martella’s in the bottom of the frame when Tony Straisiser blasted a solo homer to deep center.

 Cooper and Dan Abbenante led off the bottom of the sixth with consecutive infield singles for Martella’s, and Cooper later scored on Matt McMillen’s sacrifice fly that cut the deficit to four.

 The Renegades responded with three runs in the top of the seventh. Nate Campbell led off with a walk and scored on a subsequent throwing error on Jason Shirley’s bunt single. Uhl followed with a run-scoring hit, and Pribanic’s sacrifice fly then made it 10-3.

 Berkley Hills added three more runs in the following inning. Gray’s leadoff walk was followed by consecutive singles from Marabito and Campbell to load the bases.  Dylin Brooks singled to short center to drive in a run, and Shirley then ripped a two-run single to left that put the Renegades up

13-3. Shirley had three hits and scored twice for Berkley Hills.

 Martella’s pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth.  Cooper, who had three hits for Martella’s, singled with one out. Christian Leech then beat out an infield hit, and one out later McMillen lined a two-run single to right that set the eventual 13-5 final.

 “This series is far from over,” said McCabe. “We won two games, but it’s all about getting one more win.

“We can’t take anything for granted, because that’s a tough ball club over there. We’ve got to earn everything, because they aren’t going to give it to us.”