BUTLER TWP — The Butler Storm nearly found the perfect storm.

But the 12-under fast-pitch girls softball team dropped the championship game of the 2018 Butler Battle of the Bats Tournament, 5-3, to the Apollo-Kiski Wildcats Sunday afternoon at Butler High School.

The three-day, 20-team tournament — 10 in the 12-under and 10 in the 10-under division — was the first youth fast-pitch tournament hosted by Butler.

“That would have been a fairy-tale ending had we won it, for sure,” said Kris Paserba, president of the Butler Girls Fast-Pitch Association.

“But this was a great day, a great weekend for our program.”

Butler put together the tournament as a fund-raiser for its program. Other participating programs included Cranberry Township, Moniteau, Apollo-Kiski, Natrona Heights, Armstrong, Shaler, Hopewell, Connellsville and Moon.

Paserba was the guiding force behind the formation of the Western Pa. Fast-pitch Futures League, which played a 14-game weeknight schedule this summer.

That league wound up consisting of 40 teams.

“It became popular because we didn't play on weekends and we didn't have to travel far,” Paserba aid. “We played games at night, when it wasn't so hot, and people got their summers back.”

The Butler Storm finished 7-7 in league play. Butler's tournament consisted of other teams in the league.

“We just threw out the idea of us hosting a tournament to close out the summer season and those other programs opted in,” Paserba said.

The Storm defeated Moniteau 11-6 in the quarterfinals and nipped the Shaler Fusion, 3-2, in the semifinal round. Butler and Apollo-Kiski were tied 3-3 before the latter scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and made them stand up.

Apollo-Kiski coach Eric Kowalczyk's team threw three Butler runners out at home in the title game. Butler executed a relay from the outfield to cut down a Wildcat runner at third base in the contest.

“I was impressed by the play in this game and by the quality of this tournament,” Kowalczyk said. “There are some good, young players out there.”

Butler's youth fast-pitch program has 120 total players and fields teams in the 8-under, 10-under, 12-under, 14-under and 18-under divisions. Moniteau has 75 players in its youth program and Cranberry Township has 200 players.

“When I joined this (Cranberry) program eight years ago, we had 400 girls playing. Now we're down to 200,” said Les Alloi, vice president of Cranberry Township Softball. “The travel teams have really taken away from summer rec ball.

“Teams like the Pittsburgh Power, Passion and Venoms ... Travel ball is taking over.”

Kelly Gillis is in her first year as coach of Cranberry's 12-under team. The organization has three 12-under teams and four 10-under squads.

“What's nice about the recreational ball is the girls play with and against the same girls they'll wind up playing high school ball with,” she said.

Moniteau coach Britney Fallen is a former Moniteau High School softball player. She said the Warriors' recent success at the high school level has helped interest in the youth program.

“A lot of these young girls look up to players like the DeMatteis twins (Kristina and Kennedy),” Fallen said. “Those two and other Moniteau High School players have come back and talked to these kids, work with them.

“It really is a softball community.”

Butler's program continues to grow, especially with the concept of weeknight games.

“Parents work during the day, kids want time in the pool, weekend sleepovers, stuff like that,” Pasderba said. “They can have all of that and still play ball.”

Aaron Vicari coached the 12-under Butler Storm to the tournament's runner-up finish. He described Brooke Bellis, Kelsey Ogin and Ali Smith as three top pitchers in the program.

“And I know how far my daughter, Lily Vicari, has come in the past couple of years,” he said. “Tournaments like this, a performance like this, right here at home, gets these kids more excited about softball.”

And it gets other girls wanting to play.

“I heard a few girls in the stands telling their parents they wanted to try it next year,” Paserba said. “I love hearing that.”

Other players on Butler's 12-under team included Avery Maier, Tori Gilliland, Dezi Stellfox, Evie Paserba, Ashley Figlioli, Karli Grossi, Gracie Negley, Lydia Holt, McKenzie Reay, Kaela Malis, Olivia Slater, Madison Wolfe, McKenna Jolly and Sarah Szebalskie.

Chris Schoentag coached Butler's 10-under team, which finished 1-3 in the tournament. South Fayette defeated Maxwell Fusion our of Greensburg in the 10-under title game.

“All of our coaches are volunteers,” Paserba said. “We're dads with baseball backgrounds. We don't know everything, but things are coming along pretty well.”