BUTLER TWP — It was coming along too easily.

But Butler's girls wound up working for it — and winning the program's first Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League team championship Thursday at Family Bowlaway.

“I'm feeling quite a range of emotions right now,” Butler coach Bob Cupp said. “But this exhilarating ... absolute joy.”

The Golden Tornado cruised to victory in the three-game portion of the 18-team tourney. Butler compiled a team score of 2,761 in its three games. Plum finished second with a 2,406 — 355 pins behind.

The top three teams compete in a “baker” format to determine the league champion. Burrell finished third with a 2,403.

The baker stepladder format pitted Plum against Burrell in a best-of-three games, with a different bowler rolling each frame. The Bucs defeated Plum 149-143 and 202-144 to earn the right to face Butler in the best-of-three finale.

Butler trailed Burrell by 12 pins midway through the first game.

“Mercedes (Belch) and I bowl the same way and our ball started darting all over the place,” Tornado senior Nicole Nebel said. “We calmed each other down, helped each other out and adjusted.”

The Tornado rallied to defeat Burrell 158-141. Butler then had a slight lead entering the final frame of the second game.

Burrell rolled a 155 and was done. Belch was up for Butler in the 10th, needing a strike or spare to set her team up for the championship.

She left one pin on her first shot.

“That shot was there,” Cupp said. “It could have gone.”

Belch needed the spare or Burrell would have forced a deciding game. She made the shot easily.

“Just keep the ball on the lane, toward the middle,” Belch said. “That's all I wanted to do.”

She still needed five pins to clinch victory. Belch buried a strike to end it. The score of the game was 161-155.

“I was just trying to keep from freaking out at that point,” Belch said, laughing.

Butler's lineup featured seniors Belch, Nebel, Ashley McCue and Abby Kyle. The junior in the lineup is Jordyn Graham.

Belch rolled a 600 series in the tourney's three-game portion, including a 248. Nebel rolled a 587 series and 209 game, Graham a 573 series and 212 game.

Kyle contributed a 222 game and 537 series. McCue rebounded from a rough first game to roll a 167 and 169.

“These girls were outstanding tonight,” Cupp said. “Our seniors wanted this thing so badly. I'm proud of the way they responded.”

And they did so in front of rows of onlookers in their home house.

“I'm comfortable bowling here,” Nebel said. “We were confident going in.

“If someone opened in a frame, forget it and move on to the next. We all supported each other.”

Burrell was in the WPIBL team baker stepladder finals for the first time.

“We came close,” Burrell coach Natalie Flanagan said. “We had to come to their place and that was a challenge in and of itself.

“We lost our anchor bowler recently to a broken foot. We brought a freshman to fill in for her.

“Even with that, if we bowl this thing at Wildlife Lanes (in Lower Burrell), I don't know that they beat us,” Flanagan added.

Butler's bowlers compete in the WPIBL individual tournament next week. The boys bowl Wednesday at North Versailles, the girls Thursday at Sims Lanes in Beaver Falls.

“This was the first step,” Nebel said.”We've got regionals and states yet. Two more to go.”