BUTLER TWP— As Butler's Karra White touched home plate to cap a three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning, Golden Tornado softball coach Lyndsay Millea pumped her fist.

In the grand scheme of things, the 8-7 comeback win over Knoch Friday meant little. It was a nonsection game and came against a Knights pitcher who last entered the circle when gas prices were half what they are now.

But for Millea and Butler, the win meant a lot, mentally and symbolically.

"I think this kind of exemplifies what we have been able to create," Millea said. "There's a chemistry with the team right now that is a good thing and not the same as it has been the last few years. They're enjoying it."

Butler entered the bottom of the eighth inning down 7-5.

Knoch senior Zoe Hughes, seeing her first varsity pitching action since her freshman season, retired the first two batters before disaster struck.

She walked three Tornado batters, including AmandaSkidmore with the bases loaded, then gave up a two-run single to Erica Thrower to end the game.

Hughes walked eight in the game, but gave up only three hits. She no-hit Butler for five innings.

"Normally, I'll just mess around in practice and throw pitches," Hughes said. "Sometimes I can throw strikes. Coach said he needed me, so I said, 'OK. I'll try.'"

Both teams used the nonsection tilt as a way to get work for some of their lesser-used pitchers.

Perhaps few pitchers have been lesser-used than the duo Knoch trotted out Friday.

Knights senior Jade Thrower, who has never pitched a varsity inning, got the start and struggled.

She walked three, uncorked four wild pitches and gave up five runs — only one earned — in the first inning.

Hughes, though, relieved her in the second inning and what looked like a slugfest then turned into a pitchers duel.

Skidmore, Butler's starting pitcher, gave up five runs in three innings before yielding to Angie Reddick, who no-hit Knoch for four innings.

"We gave them five runs right from the get-go," said Knoch coach Scott Docherty.

Hughes helped the Knights get them back. She hit a two-run home run to dead center field in the second inning, then smacked a two-run double that just missed clearing the center field fence in the third inning off Skidmore to knot the game at 5.

After that, Reddick and Hughes baffled hitters.

Hughes visibly tired in the final two innings, and many of her pitches in the eighth bounced before reaching the plate.

"It was hot out there and I was dead," Hughes said.

Knoch (12-3) has to cultivate as many pitchers as it can after the loss of Chelsea Martin.

The junior broke her hand April 19 against Ellwood City and is lost for the season. She will undergo surgery Monday to put a plate in her hand to stabilize it.

Butler's program is more than stable now.

The win lifted the Tornado's record to 6-8. The six wins equal the total of the last three years combined.

"We have five more games left, and we can potentially win every one of them," Millea said. "In my mind, no matter how many games we win this season, we're always going to be the underdog. And I'm OK with that. I think, in our minds, we know we are a competitive ball team."

Knoch 122 000 02—7 9 4Butler 500 000 03—8 5 3W: Angie Reddick 5 IP (7 K, 4 BB).

L: Zoe Hughes 6X\c IP (2 K, 8 BB).

Knoch (12-3): Brittany McDermott 1B; Michelle Steinmiller 2-1B; Jade Thrower 1B; Kirsten Brant 1B; Justine Rich 1B; Zoe Hughes HR, 2B, 4-RBI; Ashley Antoszyk 1B; Mindy Bierhaus 1B, RBI

Butler (6-8): Jenna Geibel 1B; Amanda Skidmore 1B, RBI; Erica Thrower 2-1B, 2-RBI; Trisha Hollerman 1B, 2-RBI

Monday: Mars at Butler

Tuesday: Kittanning at Knoch