BUTLER TWP — The trap was set. Colin McKee wasn't biting.

Butler's junior right-hander struck out nine and allowed four hits in six innings of work Monday night as the Golden Tornado baseball team held off Fox Chapel, 6-3.

The victory came on Senior Night, against the last-place team in the section, two days before a regular season-ending showdown at Seneca Valley.

“Yeah, I guess it was a trap game,” Golden Tornado coach Todd Erdos said. “We were a little flat. We definitely weren't on our game.

“Maybe it was a combination of all those things. At this point, we'll just take the win.”

Absolutely.

Butler clinched a WPIAL playoff spot with the victory and can win its first section baseball title since 1991 with a win Wednesday at Seneca Valley.

“It has been a long time,” Erdos said. “Butler's had good teams the last couple of years that were in a position to win it. Now this team has earned itself a shot at it.”

Fox Chapel dropped its 14th consecutive game and is winless in Section 1-AAAA. But the Foxes hung around all night.

McKee forced the visitors to strand seven runners in his six innings, Fox Chapel scored a run in the sixth on two infield errors and a walk.

“This was hardly a work of art,” Erdos admitted. “But Colin throws hard and he's got a sharp breaking ball. He can be dominant at times.

“With him, it's all about consistency. He's getting there.”

McKee threw 108 pitches and walked four. Vinnie Schmidt pitched a scoreless seventh inning to notch the save. He fielded a comebacker to the mound to start a double play, then allowed a two-out double before recording the final out.

Schmidt was one of eight seniors recognized before the game. Another, Cody Herald, drilled a two-run homer in the fourth. A third, Nate Bresnahan, had a pair of singles and scored two runs. Fellow senior Tyler Slepski contributed two singles and a run.

Other seniors in the starting limneup were catcher Justin White, first baseman Bobby Swartwout, right fielder Ethan Rock and second baseman Mike Hartman.

“We were able to play all of our seniors in a game that meant a lot to us. That was nice,” Erdos said.

Fox Chapel coach Mike Frank watched his team hand the Tornado three runs in the third inning, contributing two errors and a balk to Butler's cause. Consecutive singles by Slepski, Bresnahan and McKee capped the rally.

“That's been our season,” Frank said. “Our mistakes have cost us games and we haven't been able to take advantage of the opposition's miscues.

“This section is brutal. Teams that capitalize on mistakes are the teams that win.”

Five teams began play Monday battling for the three section playoff berths in Section 1-AAAA.

“We began this year with only three players having varsity experience,” Frank said. “It's been a year of growing pains.”

The Foxes gained Erdos' respect on this night.

“They've had a tough year, yet they battle you until the last out. Kudos to them,” the Butler coach said.

Fox Chapel 100 101 0 — 3 5 3Butler 013 200 x — 6 8 3W: Colin McKee 6IP (9K, 4BB).

L: Chad Bartlett 4IP (2K, 2BB).

Fox Chapel (2-16, 0-12): Anthony Brooks 1B, Mike Pistorius 1B 2B, Joey Palumbo RBI, J.T. Terwilliger 1B, Alex Suleski 1B RBI

Butler (12-3, 8-3): Alex Ziegler 1B, Cody Herald HR 2-RBI, Bobby Swartwout 1B, Tyler Slepski 2-1B, Nathan Bresnahan 2-1B 2-R, Colin McKee 1B RBI

Wednesday: Butler at Seneca Valley