BUTLER TWP — After-prom games make any coach nervous.

Seneca Valley softball coach George Trew was no exception to that rule Saturday afternoon at Butler.

“Six of the girls in our lineup were at the prom last night,” Trew said. “If our bats woke up at any point in this game, I was gonna be happy.”

And he was.

After managing only two hits in the first four innings, the Raiders exploded for eight hits over the final three frames and defeated the Golden Tornado, 5-3.

The win lifts Seneca Valley into sole possession of third place and temporary hold of the final WPIAL playoff spot out of Section 3-AAAA.

“There's still work to do,” Trew said. “We have Butler and North Allegheny left in section. We just want to win the rest of our games and see what happens.”

Saturday's loss severely damaged Butler's playoff hopes, though the Tornado still have a mathematical chance of getting in.

“We need to win out and get some serious help,” Butler coach Dan Hindman admitted.

Butler pitcher Amanda Skidmore was helping herself through the SV lineup Saturday. A half-hour lightning delay in the third inning didn't bother her as she had six strikeouts and no walks while working on a two-hitter.

Lauren Davies snapped a scoreless tie in the fifth inning for the Raiders, however, leading off the frame with a home run to left. With two outs and no one on, No. 9 hitter Alyssa Miller singled up the middle. Alyssa DiMaria followed with a double and Miller scored when Butler botched a rundown play.

The Tornado got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Sara Cobern led off with a single to right, was bunted to second by Becca Schnur, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Hannah Henry's ground out.

But Skidmore never got out of the sixth inning.

“She started leaving her pitches up,” Hindman said,. “Amanda throws strikes and she was effective down in the zone. When she elevated those pitches, their hitters knew what to do with them.”

The Raiders bunched four hits together — including RBI singles by Davies and Miller — to score three times in the sixth. Angie Reddick replaced Skidmore on the mound and allowed Miller's hit.

Davies had three hits and a walk in four plate appearances.

“She's hitting around .300,” Trew said. “Lauren had an outstanding day at the plate today.”

Butler did not go away quietly in the seventh. Reddick drilled a two-run homer to right and after two were out, Skidmore and Sadie Marak singled to center.

With a strong wind blowing out to right, Amber Steinheiser grounded out sharply to first to end the game. Emily Watson scattered eight hits in a complete-game effort for SV.

“You never know what might happen in a situation like that,” Trew said. “Emily kept her cool and threw a nice game.”

“We made it interesting,” Hindman said. “Our girls battled there at the end.”

Seneca Valley 000 023 0 — 5 10 1Butler 000 010 2 — 3 8 1W: Emily Watson 7IP (4K, 3BB).

L: Amanda Skidmore 5.1IP (6K, 0BB).

Seneca Valley (7-5, 5-5): Alyssa DiMaria 2B, Julia Vandrak 2-1B, Megan Buleta 2-2B, Emily Watson RBI, Lauren Davies HR 2B 1B 2-RBI 2-R, Alyssa Miller 2-1B RBI

Butler (5-7, 3-7): Angie Reddick HR 2-2B 2-RBI, Amanda Skidmore 2-1B, Sadie Marak 1B, Sara Cobern 1B, Becca Schnur 1B, Hannah Henry RBI

Today: Butler at Seneca Valley