BUTLER TWP — Butler was fighting to stay perfect. North Allegheny was fighting to stay alive.

In Thursday's section matchup, the Tigers manufactured four runs, then held off a furious seventh- inning Tornado rally that brought the potential winning run to the plate for a 4-2 victory.

The loss dropped Butler to 2-1 in the section and 6-1 overall while North Allegheny improved to 1-2, 4-2.

“I knew this was going to be a good game because Butler beat North Hills and Pine-Richland, which are really good teams. If there's a must-win game, this was it.”

The Tigers held a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the seventh as Tigers starter Brice Nikithser scattered four hits.

With one out, Dalton Koebler reached on an error, then Tyler Slepski and Dante Dorcy smacked consecutive RBI doubles to slice the deficit in half and chased Nikithser.

Enter Tanner Wilt, who was making his first pitching appearance of the season.

He struck out Alex Ziegler before Colin Williamson reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners with two outs.

Wilt induced Mick Fennell to fly out to left to end the game.

“Our guys didn't quit. That's all you can ask” said Butler coach Todd Erdos. “You're down four and get the winning run at the plate. ... It was a good ballgame. (NA) is off to a slow start. Every game's a grind. That's the way our section is.”

The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead in the first when, after Butler turned a double play, Tornado starter Tyler Slepski hit Nikithser with a pitch, then gave up an RBI double to Wilt.

North Allegheny added its second run in the fifth inning when, with runners at first and third, Nick Sell's successful suicide squeeze plated the run.

Slepski walked Anthony Wolosik to load the bases, but avoided further damage when a he got a fielder's choice force out at home. Cody Herald then made a diving stop deep at shortstop and threw out Wilt to close out the frame.

Butler had a chance to respond with a rally as Koebler lead off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single and Slepski walked. Dorcy grounded to Wolosik at shortstop, who flipped the ball to Sell at second. The umpire ruled Slepski slid hard into Sell to break up the double play and ruled Slepski and Dorcy out.

With a runner at third, Ziegler struck out to end the threat.

“We had a chance to rally,” said Erdos, “but that play took some momentum away.”

The Tigers added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings — a fielder's choice and a run-scoring single by Wilt, respectively — which proved to be necessary.

A tough defeat is never easy, but Erdos knows his team will take this experience and move on.

“These guys don't like to lose,” Erdos said. “They take it personally. It was a good learning experience.”

North Allegheny 100 011 1 — 4 8 1Butler 000 000 2 — 2 7 0W: Brice Nikithser 6X\c IP (6K, 2BB).

L: Tyler Slepski 7 IP (5K, 3BB).

North Allegheny (4-2, 1-2): Nick Sell 2-1B, RBI; Anthony Wolosik 1B; Tanner Wilt 1B, 2B, 2 RBI; Jimmy Divosevic 1B; Mack Leftwich 1B; Will Oestreich 1B

Butler (6-1, 2-1): Colin Williamson 2-1B; Cody Herald 1B; Bobby Swartwout 1B; Dalton Koebler 1B; Tyler Slepski 2B, RBI; Dante Dorcy 2B, RBI

Today: Butler at Fox Chapel