No small victory
Butler used small ball to produce a huge win Friday night at Kelly Automotive Park.
The Golden Tornado scored two runs without a hit in the first inning, used an outfield error and balk to score two more in the second, and held on for a critical 4-2 Section 1-AAAA baseball win over Pine-Richland.
Butler avoided an 0-4 start in section play with the win.
“We dug ourselves a hole early and this is a tough section to come back in,” Tornado coach Todd Erdos said. “Top to bottom, I think it's the best section in the WPIAL.
“Every game is a grind. We had to grind one out tonight.”
The Tornado (5-3, 1-3) snapped a three-game losing streak. Butler had been outscored 15-3 in those games — all section defeats.
“We had to get back to doing the things we do best tonight,” Erdos said. “We were pressing and trying to do too much in those losses. We wanted to be aggressive early in this game and try to make something happen.”
Nathan Kibbie began the bottom of the first with a walk and Dallas Hays was hit by a pitch. A double-steal was followed by a Cade Negley sacrifice fly and Connor Ollio's RBI grounder to second.
Adam Hohn singled to center to begin Butler's second inning. He scored all the way from first when Alec Bayer's one-out single rolled through the left fielder's legs.
With two outs, a balk moved Bayer from second to third base. He scored from there on Hays' infield single and the Tornado had a 4-0 lead.
“Butler had been struggling offensively and we give them two runs right away on no hits,” Pine-Richland coach Kurt Wolfe said. “Then we make mistakes in the next inning and give them a couple more.
“We wanted to jump on them early ... This is a frustrating loss.”
Negley made the early lead stand up for the win. He tossed a three-hitter in going the distance. Negley walked five on the night and walked the bases loaded in the fourth.
No. 8 hitter Jacob Maggio delivered a two-out, two-run single to get the Rams (7-3, 2-2) close. Pine-Richland had won five of its last six games.
“Cade's command was in and out tonight,” Erdos admitted. “But he made some adjustments and got it back late.”
Negley threw 106 pitches, 64 for strikes. He was aided by a key pick-off in the sixth inning.
Pine-Richland had gotten out of a jam by turning a double play in the bottom of the fifth. Maxx Harpalani walked to begin the top of the sixth. He wandered off first base, Negley stepped off the rubber, threw to second and Harpalani was tagged out in a rundown.
“We weren't trying to steal a bag there,” Wolfe said. “He (Harpalani) thought the pitcher balked, so he headed to second. But an umpire has to call the balk first.“We wanted to get the next runner on, then bunt the tying runs up a base.”Negley said he was prepared for the play.“I'm an experienced pitcher and good teams try to get you to balk late in a close game,” Negley said. “I was thinking about that possibility right after I walked the guy.“I figured they might do something like that to try to get me to balk. I was ready for it.”Pine-Richland did not get another runner on base in the game.“That play turned the while momentum of that inning, if not this game,” Erdos said.It helped keep Butler in the section race as well.“The way this section is, with so many good teams ... We're still very much in it,” Negley said.Pine-Richland 000 200 0 — 2 3 2Butler 220 000 x — 4 6 0W: Cade Negley 7IP (7K, 5BB). L: Rob Riggatire 1IP (0K, 1BB).Pine-Richland (7-3, 2-2): Tyler Woodrow 1B, Jacob Maggi 1B 2-RBI, Joey Bolick 1BButler (5-3, 1-3): Dallas Hays 1B RBI, Cade Negley RBI, Connor Ollio 1B RBI, Sam Gross 1B, Brandon Hildebrand 1B, Adam Hohn 1B, Alec Bayer 1BMonday: Butler at Seneca Valley
