BUTLER TWP — Both teams had key wrestlers out. But North Allegheny wound up with two wrestlers in key spots.

Jake Woodley at 182 pounds and Francis Duggan at 195 short-circuited a Butler surge by posting a major decision and pin late in Tuesday night's dual match. Those efforts secured the Tigers' 39-28 victory at the Butler Intermediate gym.

“Those were big matches that wound up in our favor,” North Allegheny coach Sanshiro Abe said. “We needed them to win.”

The Golden Tornado (3-2) fell behind 24-0 early — losing an overtime decision at 285 pounds to begin the match — before pulling within 29-22 with three matches remaining.

Mike Vought at 145, Caleb Baxter at 152 and Christian Sequete at 170 all picked up pins for Butler during the rally.

Sam Dietrich squSghortared his record at 5-5 with a 14-0 major decision at 132.

“We had some bright spots,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said. “We were missing some wrestlers and they were missing some, too.

“We weren't aggressive enough at times. We get guys on their backs and let them out of it too much.”

Sequete's pin pulled the Tornado within seven, but Woodley (21-2) decisioned Tom Greaves 13-4 and Duggan (19-3) pinned Jacob White in 2:35 to seal the win for the Tigers.

Butler's Justin Johnson (13-1) won his match by pinfall in 1:27 to close out the evening. Sequete (15-2) has seven pins on the season while Johnson has six. Baxter (11-2) earned his fifth pin of the year.

Vought is a senior who pinned his opponent just 1:03 into the match. It was Vought's first varsity match of the season.

“Mike has been with us for three years now and hasn't gotten a lot of varsity action,” Stoner said. “I told him tonight was his opportunity to go out and show me something and he did that.”

Vought was in the lineup for Donovan Malovich (8-2), who may miss two weeks with a collarbone injury. Tornado 120-pound freshman Jack Codispot (8-6 with five pins) may be out two weeks with an injured knee.

Butler had to forfeit at 120 with Codispot out.

“That was a huge swing for us,” Abe admitted. “We got points there we weren't expecting.”

The 120-pound forfeit may have been a 12-point swing.

“You can never count on a pin happening, but the chance was certainly there,” Stoner said.

NA's healthy wrestlers carried the load Wednesday. Jake Hinkson (17-6) won a narrow 8-6 decision over Scott Dietrich at 138 pounds, scoring the deciding takedown with 42 seconds left. Abe moved Sean Kalmeyer (16-8) up to 160 pounds — where he decisioned Hank Finan — to avoid a match with Baxter at 152.

“We still have five starters out with injuries, concussion, illness ... It's been that way all season,” Abe said. “The toss-up matches went our way tonight. That was the difference.”

The Tigers, who have never lost to Butler, improved to 3-3 in dual meets.

Butler travels to Knoch next Wednesday.

North Allegheny 39, Butler 28

(Match started at Hwt.)

106-Jacob Downing (NA) pinned Isaiah Christy, 1:53; 113-Gabe Falo (NA) pinned Braydon Hoffman, :46; 120-Andrew Wang (NA) by forfeit; 126-Jiantin Qu (NA) dec. Shane Culp, 16-12; 132-Sam Dietrich (B) dec. Kevin Lasch, 14-0; 138-Jake Hinkson (NA) dec. Scott Dietrich, 8-6; 145-Mike Vought (B) pinned Manuel Bautista, 1:03; 152-Caleb Baxter (B) pinned Jake Smalley, 3:21; 160-Sean Kalmeyer (NA) dec. Hank Finan, 6-1; 170-Christian Sequete (B) pinned Jimmy Turici, 2:24; 182-Jake Woodley (NA) dec. Tom Greaves, 13-4; 195-Francis Duggan (NA) pinned Jacob White, 2:35; 220-Justin Johnson (B) pinned Kevin Tang, 1:27; Hwt.-Chuck Sanders (NA) dec. Saavon Moseby, 7-5 in OT