Ryan Pitts didn't know he was getting his first start for Nazareth Legion until he arrived at last night's game.

The 15-year-old rising sophomore gave his team more than it asked of him in pitching a complete game five-hitter and extending the NorCo championship series to a third game with a 13-1 win over the Birches."We came here tonight hoping he would get us one time through the lineup," said Nazareth head coach Jason Brown. "He kept them off balance. And with the run support he got at the end, we just let him finish it out. Great performance from him. The future is looking good around here."After last night's loss in the first game of the three-game series, Brown's usual starters needed some rest and he was considering saving some arms for this weekend's Region 2 tournament. So he asked for volunteers to take the ball in Game 2.Pitts, who played on the Blue Eagles' JV team in spring, was happy to volunteer. He has pitched in relief a few times during his first legion season, but he got his first start Wednesday at Saylorsburg Park. He allowed five hits while striking out six and walking three batters."I know I couldn't overpower them," Pitts said. "I just tried to throw it over the plate and let the guys make plays behind me. I just tried to think of it as a regular game and go from there. I felt really good out there."Nazareth grabbed a lead in the second inning when Jake Trenberth drew a no-out walk and eventually scored on an error.Birches answered as Luke Hohenstein led off the bottom of the second with a double and Marshall Hanyon followed it with an RBI double to tie the game.But Pitts didn't allow a Birches runner past second base over the final five innings."He's a good pitcher, young, but a good pitcher," said Birches manager Allen Faust. "He threw strikes. I feel we should have hit him. I don't know what was going on with our team tonight but we just didn't play ball like we're supposed to play ball."Nazareth went ahead for good in the top of the third. Vinnie Spinelli singled and Pitts, who Brown called the best bunter on the team, laid down a sacrifice bunt. Spinelli tried to take third on the play and the Birches' throw went into left field, allowing him to score what would be the game-winning run.Nazareth made it 4-1 on a Pitts squeeze bunt in the fifth inning that brought home Noah McMullin. It was the first of four runs in the inning that pushed the Nazareth lead to 6-1 and knocked Birches starter Nick Dominici out of the game.Nazareth put the game out of reach with six more runs in the seventh inning to extend the three-game championship series to a third game tonight at Walter C. Fry, Sr., Memorial Field in Nazareth.Brown won't be asking for volunteers for tonight's starter."We have some guys with some rest," he said. "We actually have some options, unlike what we had coming into this game."BIG BATS ... Nazareth's Spinelli had two hits in the game, while McMullin had three runs scored and Kevin Wagner and Pitts knocked in a pair of runs.LOOKING AHEAD ... Birches will likely start either Dakota George or Nate Coursey on the mound in the deciding game, according to Faust. Brown declined to name his starter.LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD ... Both teams will compete in the Region 2 tournament Saturday in Quakertown.Nazareth 011 041 6 - 13 7 3Birches 010 000 0 - 1 5 4Pitts and Trenberth; Domenici, Cibiscino (5), Konopke (7) and Hanyon. W - Pitts. L - Domenici.