BUTLER TWP — Upset with her own hitting, Angie Reddick inadvertently woke up the Mars bats.

Butler's junior pitcher recovered and tossed a complete game four-hitter, however, leading the Golden Tornado girls softball team to a 5-2 season-opening victory Wednesday.

"It's nice to win that first one," Reddick said. "It builds momentum. It builds confidence."

But the win didn't come easily.

Butler had a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when freshman Caitlin Baxter hit a two-out triple to deep center. Reddick stranded her there when she popped out to shortstop.

Even though the Tornado stretched their lead to 3-0 with RBI doubles by Amanda Skidmore and Mackenzie O'Donnell in the fifth, Reddick's failed at-bat was still on her mind as she took the mound in the sixth.

"I was still thinking about it when I was pitching and started laying fastballs right down the middle," she admitted.

And Mars started hitting them.

The Planets managed only one hit — a Charrie Wilson single to left — through the first five innings after collecting just two hits in a 1-0 win over Deer Lakes on Tuesday.

But Rachel Pastorek greeted Reddick with a double to left to begin the sixth inning. No. 9 hitter Dana Wonderly followed with a run-scoring single to center.

With one out, Wilson reached on an infield error. Taylor Rotz lined a single off the shortstop's glove, scoring Wonderly. Rotz moved up to second on the throw to the plate.

With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Reddick recorded a strikeout and induced a fly ball to center to escape further damage.

"We showed some character in fighting back like that," Mars coach Michele Goodworth said. "I don't know what took us so long to start hitting. One girl gets a hit, sometimes it does get contagious.

"We needed one more hit there and couldn't get it."

Reddick atoned for her rough inning in the Tornado half of the sixth. With one out, Tori Hesidence and Baxter reached on singles. Reddick then drilled a single to right that bounced past the right fielder.

Reddick tripped while rounding first base, denying herself a double. Both runners scored on the play, however.

"I'm still mad about my base-running (she was doubled off first to end the inning), but it felt good getting that hit," Reddick said.

"That was leadership, the way she got it together both on the mound and at the plate," Butler coach Lori Kline said of Reddick.

"I thought of letting someone else pitch the last couple of innings, but Angie said she felt fine."

Reddick struck out six and allowed no walks. Butler had 12 hits — at least one in every inning — with Skidmore going 3-for-3.

"I'm encouraged by how well we hit in our first game," Kline said. "We did well in pressure situations, too, which is something we've been working on."

Goodworth isn't concerned about the Planets' slow start at the plate.

"We hung in today against a very good team," she said. "I'm not worried about our hitting in these early games."

Mars 000 002 0 — 2 4 0Butler 100 022 x — 5 12 2W: Angie Reddick 7 IP (6 K, 0 BB).

L: Rachel Pastorek 5 IP (4 K, 1 BB).

Mars (1-1): Alyse Ciafre SB, Charrie Wilson 1B, Taylor Rotz 1B RBI, Rachel Pastorek 2B, Dana Wonderly 1B RBI

Butler (1-0): Caitlin Baxter 3B 1B, Angie Reddick 2-1B 2-RBI, Sadie Marak 1B 2-R, Amanda Skidmore 2B 2-1B RBI, Olivia Vasey 1B RBI, Mackenzie O'Donnell 2B RBI, Tori Hesidence 2-1B

Thursday: Knoch at Butler

Tuesday: Mars at Indiana