NORTH VERSAILLES — Losing is never easy.

For the Butler varsity girls bowling team Saturday, it was gut-wrenching.

The Golden Tornado girls had to settle for fourth place in the Pennsylvania State High School Bowling Championships at North Versailles Bowl when Muhlenberg came from behind to post a 2-1 victory during a best-of-three stepladder match.

The top four of 12 teams after a three-game set and two baker game preliminary qualified for the stepladder, baker games finals format. Butler was seeded third with a total score of 3,546; Muhlenberg fourth at 3,518.

After Muhlenberg's win over Butler, it was eliminated by second-place and defending state champion Shikellamy, which in turn lost to top-seeded Hempfield in the best-of-three title match.

“This is tough on these girls because they came in here with such high hopes ... and it was so close,” Butler assistant coach Jim Hepler said.

A baker game format features a lineup of five bowlers per team. The first bowler bowls frames 1 and 5, the second frames 2 and 6, etc. The Tornado's lineup was Megan Paul, Kelly Bintrim, Nicole Balk, Autumn Hepler and Brea Suchonic.

Muhlenberg's lineup featured Colby Blankenbiller in the anchor spot. She had the third-highest average on her team at 179, but owned the tournament's high game and series Saturday at 257 and 639, respectively.

Third-bowler Brandie Franco has a 191 average, fourth-bowler Brooke Franco a 185.

“I wanted to go with my hottest bowler in that spot,” Muhlenberg coach Bill Tetterton said. “She seemed to have these lanes figured out.”

Butler cruised to a 179-122 win in Game 1 of the matchup as Paul, Bintrim and Balk opened the game with strikes. Suchonic put the finishing touches on the victory with consecutive strikes in the 10th.

In the third frame, Balk discovered the thumb insert was missing from her ball and Butler's play was delayed as it was replaced. In the meantime, Muhlenberg marked in the game's first nine frames to build a big lead.

“When the opponent's score is already posted like that, it's hard to come back. There's so much more pressure,” Hepler noted.

The Tornado rallied regardless as Suchonic, Paul, Bintrim and Balk struck in frames 5-8 to give Butler the lead. The Tornado opened in the ninth and 10th frames, however, and Muhlenberg squared the match with a 194-191 win.

“It's rare to see an insert come out of a ball like that, especially in a tournament setting like this,” Butler coach Bill Fay said. “Nicole had another insert to put in, but it didn't fit her quite as well.

“The way we fought back in that game showed the mettle of these girls.”

Both teams struggled somewhat in the third and deciding game. Paul opened with a split, but converted. Muhlenberg began the game with consecutive splits, but got back in the contest late.

Bintrim converted a split to keep Butler in front in the seventh, but the Tornado opened in the eighth with their third split of the game.

Butler held a 139-136 lead entering the 10th frame and Suchonic watched Blankenbiller convert a four-pin spare. Suchonic left the 6 and 10 pins on her first ball.

Her spare shot took out the 10, but narrowly slid past the 6 as Muhlenberg escaped with a 156-148 win.

“This is the furthest we've ever gone in this tournament and we've had a team since 1972,” Tetterton said. “This is the best team we've ever had.

“I feel badly for (Suchonic), anybody in that situation. That shot barely missed.”

Suchonic, a junior, carries a 180 average and is Butler's captain.

“You win as a team, you lose as a team,” Fay said. “This loss isn't on her. You have to look at the entire game, like in any sport.

“It was warm in here, the oil pattern made for a tough shot. ... We just came up a little short.”

Butler graduates two starting seniors in Balk and Heather Paul. The Tornado have placed fifth, second and fourth in the state in the program's three years of existence.

“We've got some younger girls coming up who are very good and with the girls we have coming back, we're primed to make another run next year,” Hepler said. “We'll be back to take another run at this.

“Our boys team had no seniors, so they may get here next year as well.”

Butler's Autumn Hepler had the third-highest game of Saturday's tournament, rolling a 241. Hempfield's Justyne Falbo and Ashley Howe both rolled a 247.