EPHRATA, Lancaster County — After 28 games and 280 frames Saturday, the 2013 Pennsylvania State High School Bowling Championship came down to a single frame.

Make that a double.

Butler senior Brea Suchonic delivered back-to-back strikes in the 10th frame of the third game of the championship match against Hempfield, then produced an eight-count to hand the Golden Tornado girls a state title-clinching 164-162 win.

“Just hit the head pin ... that's all I was thinking,” Suchonic said of the tournament's final shot.

After three regular games and six “baker” games — where a team's five bowlers roll two frames each — Butler was seeded third out of the 12-team field. That put the Tornado in the stepladder baker finals.

Butler defeated fourth-seeded Penn Manor in two straight games, 200-167, 172-161. The Tornado then defeated second-seeded Wilson — the top team from the eastern side of the state — 147-143, 196-183, to set up a showdown against top-seeded and western rival Hempfield.

The Tornado cruised to a 241-193 win in the first game, only to drop a 237-200 decision in Game 2 to set up a winner-take-all Game 3.

“We started Game 1 with a spare and five straight strikes to blow them away in the first game,” Butler assistant coach Jim Hepler said. “Then they turned around and did the same thing to us.”

The third game couldn't have been much closer.

Tornado senior Autumn Hepler rolled the ninth frame and left the 4-pin on her first shot.

“I thought I carried the pocket. It just didn't go,” Hepler said. “I knew I had to get a mark there or else.

“That spare shot was going to be the last shot of my high school career. The only time I remember feeling as nervous on the lanes was before my second shot of my first frame my freshman year.”

Hepler picked up the spare, setting up Suchonic's heroics.

“When I was stepping down from the approach and she was getting up, I looked at her and said 'You know what you gotta do,'”Hepler said.

And Suchonic did it.

Hempfield's final bowler, Justyne Falbo, won the girls singles state title earlier in the weekend. She rolled a strike on her first ball in the 10th frame, then left the 4-pin.

A second strike would have clinched the team championship for the Spartans.

Suchonic calmly buried her first shot in the pocket for a strike.

“Take a deep breath, relax and focus,” Suchonic said. “I blocked everything else out. I wanted so badly to do this for my team.”

Butler's girls had placed sixth, second and fourth in the state tourney the previous three years. Suchonic missed a spare in the final frame last year that denied advancement by Butler in the stepladder state finals.

“That was on my mind earlier in the day,” Suchonic admitted. “It couldn't have been further from my mind when I was standing up there (for the 10th).”

Suchonic's second ball in the 10th drilled the pocket.

“The pins exploded with that second shot,” assistant coach Hepler said. “When those pins went flying, three years of heavy weight flew off of our shoulders.”

“We screamed, we cried ... We couldn't believe this really happened,” sophomore and Butler lead-off bowler Megan Paul said. “I mean, I was shaking.”

Paul marked during the first and sixth frames of the third and deciding game.

“I did what I could for my team, then I sat back and cheered like crazy,” Paul said.

Butler's girls team bowled 16 games — three regular, 13 baker — from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday.

“There was no break. They didn't even have time to eat lunch,” Tornado coach Bill Fay said. “But no one ever complained. No one once said she was hungry. They just took care of business and bowled fantastic.”

“It was a long day,” Butler junior Kelly Bintrim said. “Adrenalin was running through all of us. Nobody ever felt tired, only focused.”

Butler's seniors — Suchonic, Hepler, Alisha Fisher, Shilo Warren and Kelli Sherge — finished their prep bowling careers 40-0 in regular season play, western regional and state champions their senior season.

“It was the perfect way to end it,” Suchonic said. “Crazy emotion took over me. After my last shot, I instantly began crying tears of joy.”

Suchonic is receiving bowling offers from Penn State and Robert Morris. She plans to study business management.

Hepler has already accepted a bowling scholarship to Ursuline (Ohio) College, where she plans to study chemistry.

“All I know is, I'm going there a champion,” she said.

Other Butler County bowlers also fared well at the state tourney.

Knoch's boys finished fifth, missing the stepladder finals by one spot. The Knights' Brett Miner bowled a 258, second highest single-game score during the team event. Jack Celmer of Conrad Weiser bowled a 264.

Knoch's Kevin Hindman rolled a 703 series during the team event. Only Celmer with a 726 and Lancaster Catholic's Matt Pleger with a 706 rolled higher.

Seneca Valley senior Sara Ahlgren placed fifth in girls singles. Carrying a 167 average, she posted scores of 199, 146, 194, 201, 211 and 237 for a six-game set of 1,188.

Ahlgren was the lone female bowler for the Raiders — a first-year team — this season. She finished only 96 pins shy of as state championship.

“I'm proud of her,” SV coach Terry Cochran said. “She put together a tremendous day.”

Ahlgren plans to attend Edinboro University next year.

“If they have a bowling team, she's going to pursue it,” Cochran said. “I know she's planning on bowling up there one way or another.”

Butler's Paul rolled the third-highest single game during the girls team event, posting a 256.

The Tornado's Jacob Cookson finished 22nd in boys singles with a six-game set of 1,101.

PA. STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Girls Team Qualifying

1-Hempfield 4,036, 2-Wilson 3,964, 3-Butler 3,952, 4-Penn Manor 3,886, 5-Norwin 3,870, 6-Penn Hills 3,770, 7-Schuykill Valley 3,693, 8-Ambridge 3,556, 9-Muhlenberg 3,469, 10-Milton 3,457, 11-North Allegheny 3,361, 12-Gov. Mifflin 3,246

Butler Girls Individuals

Megan Paul 146-256-184-586

Shilo Warren 1522-189-146-487

Kelly Bintrim 206-141-233-580

Autumn Hepler 156-176-183-515

Brea Suchonic 213-224-182-619

Girls Singles Qualifying

High game-series

1-Justyn Falbo (Hempfield) 244-1,284; 2-Victoria Smith (Gateway) 221-1,272; 3-Taylor Trump (Norwin) 258-1,262; 4-Aerika High (Manheim Central) 224-1,196; 5-Sara Ahlgren (Seneca Valley) 237-1,188

Boys Team Qualifying

1-Conrad Weiser 4,345 (def. Hemfield for championship), 2-Greensburg Salem 4,284, 3-Hempfield 4,279, 4-Lancaster Catholic 4,173, 5-Knoch 4,046, 6-West Mifflin 4.007, 7-Milton 4,004, 8-Gov. Mifflin 3,962, 9-Shikellamy 3,819, 10-Plum 3,176, 11-Lampeter-Strasburg 3,674, 12-Butler 3,610

Boys Singles Qualifying

High game-series

1-Mark Artley (Milton) 279-1,376; 2-Brendan Schink (Wilson) 300-1,317; 3-Jack Celmer (Conrad Weiser) 279-1,273; 4-Matt Schultz (Burrell) 255-1,273; 5-Dan Matase (Father Judge) 258-1,272; 22-Jacob Cookson (Butler) 221-1,101