BUTLER TWP — Even in victory, Butler wanted more.

The Golden Tornado girls bowling team extended its regular season match winning streak to 38 — dating back to its inception in 2009 — ran its record this year to 8-0 and clinched the WPIBL’s North section title with a 2-1 win over North Allegheny Wednesday at Family Bowlaway.

Butler clinched the match by winning the first two games, 892-807 and 891-842, before dropping the third game by a single pin, 919-918.

“It would have been nice to win all three ... You always want to win them all,” Tornado senior Brea Suchonic said.

They almost did.

Trailing by 50-plus pins at one point, Suchonic spearheaded a furious rally by racking up five strikes in a row. She nearly doubled in the 10th frame, which would have produced a Butler sweep.

Leading the section with a 189 average, Suchonic rolled a 233 in that final game. With the boys match complete, all eyes were on her.

“I don’t mind that at all,” she said. “A few years ago, I used to be nervous in close games and I would mess up. The past four years have helped me with that tremendously.

“Now I just take a deep breath, calm myself down, and do what I know I know how to do.”

Butler’s boys improved to 8-0 as well, producing team scores exceeding 900 in all three games. They needed to in order to hold off a red-hot North Allegheny (3-5) squad.

After winning the first game 931-921, the Tornado dropped the second one 942-917, falling 15 pins behind overall. Jacob Cookson rolled a 222 and Garrett Sexton added a 209 to key a 901-848 match-deciding win in Game 3.

Cookson had six consecutive strikes to hold his team in the game for a while.

“I just wanted to keep going and not let things become undone,” Cookson said. “One of our goals this year is to go undefeated.

“Our girls team keeps winning and we want to match them.”

Cookson had a 608 series for the day. He began the match with a 194 average. Teammate Sexton, who averages 196, had a 593 series. Both rolled a pair of 200 games.

“Garrett bowled for us last year, got off to a rough start this season and we put him on JV for a while,” Butler coach Bill Fay said. “We brought him back up and he’s been doing fantastic.”

Only Knoch’s Kevin Hindman — with a 210 — has a higher boys average in the section than Sexton.

On the girls side, Butler’s Suchonic, Autumn Hepler (188) and Megan Paul (179) have the top three averages in the section.

Hepler rolled a 209 in Game 2 of the girls match, putting together five successive strikes. Paul and Suchonic both doubled late as the Tornado overcame an early deficit in the game to clinch the match.

“I’m so proud of those girls,” Fay said. “They don’t get flustered. They work together and bowl together. They pick each other up.”

The Tiger girls slipped to 6-2, with both losses coming against Butler.

“Butler has a lot of good bowlers,” NA coach Charlie Neely said. “You can’t afford one of your bowlers to have a bad game ... You have to match them.”

For Butler’s girls, Suchonic rolled a 594 series, Hepler a 570, Mikayla White a 525, Paul a 513, Kelly Bintrim a 499.

North Allegheny was led by Marlee Tyler with a 559 series. Courtney Weber had a 550, Bethany Schoepper a 534.

Supporting Cookson and Sexton for Butler’s boys were Matthew Blose with a 555, Brandt Fleming a 550. David Koch rolled a 594 for the Tigers, Jordan Mangione a 582.

“This was the best we’ve bowled in a long time,” Neely said. “It wasn’t enough.”

The Tornado host Karns City next Wednesday.

“We don’t worry about our streak. We don’t even look at it,” Suchonic said. “We focus on our next match and just go frame by frame.”