Cade Negley did everything the Butler baseball team could have asked for.

Negley pitched seven shutout innings, striking out eight, but the Golden Tornado bats were hushed as well in a 1-0 loss Monday night to Shaler in eight innings.

“He went out there and gave us exactly what I'm sure he expected and wanted to do,” said Butler coach Todd Erdos. “Seven strong innings. We had opportunities to win the ballgame for him. I think that's going to be the theme all year — we know what to expect from our pitchers — but we have to find a way to squeak some runs out to get them a little help.”

Squeaking a run out is exactly what Shaler did.

The Titans (5-3, 1-1) couldn't do much against Negley swinging the bat, so they tried bunting instead.

They threatened in the top of the seventh, putting runners at second and third with one out, but Negley got a pair of strikeouts to get out of the jam.

Dallas Hays wasn't as fortunate in the eighth.

Shaler used small ball, putting down three perfect bunts to push the lone run across.

Leadoff hitter Hunter Jamison laid down a spinning bunt down the third base line to score Patrick Gumto with what would be the winning run.

“We knew it was going to be that type of game,” said Shaler coach Brian Junker. “We executed just enough. That was big.”

Jamison slammed the dagger into Butler on defense, too.

With runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Alec Bayer hit a slicing line drive to left field where Jamison made a diving catch to end the game.

Butler (3-2, 0-1) stranded four runners in scoring position in the final two innings.

“So far this year that's kind of been a theme,” Erdos said. “We haven't had a big two-out hit so far. In a close ballgame, that's the type of thing that's really going to make or break you. You have to have a clutch hit in those situations and right now we haven't been able to get that done.

“Our kids fought to the very end,” Erdos added. “You gotta love the fight. We can't let this tear them down too much.”

Shaler has come into this season hungry after being picked by many pundits to finish last in the section.

Gumto matched Negley pitch for pitch, leaving with one out in the bottom of the eighth.

Tyler Smith got the final two outs for the save.

“Our scrappy little team — which I love — was picked to finish last place,” Junker said. “You wouldn't believe the confidence those guys have, though. They wanted to be picked last. I wanted to be picked last. It doesn't bother them. We don't listen to the noise. We didn't when we were on top and we aren't now.”

Butler now has two tough section road games in the next two days against Pine-Richland today and North Allegheny Wednesday.

“We kind of have to put this chapter behind us tonight,” Erdos said.

Shaler 000 000 01 — 1 6 2

Butler 000 000 00 — 0 6 1

W: Patrick Gumto 7.1IP (2K, 4BB). L: Dallas Hays 1IP (2K, 0BB). SV: Tyler Smith 0.2IP (1K, 0BB)

Shaler (5-2, 1-1): Hunter Jamison 1B RBI, Anthony Venezia 2-1B, Cory Masiadka 1B, Nick Cavacini 1B, Gumto 1B

Butler (3-2, 0-1): Cade Negley 1B, Sam Gross 1B, Alec Bayer 2B, Adam Hohn 2-1B, Ryan Lynn 1B

Today: Butler at Pine-Richland