The first batter to come to the plate for each team set the tone for the outcome of this game.

Central Catholic's leadoff hitter fouled off pitch after pitch from Butler starter Colby Anderson, helping to run up the Golden Tornado's pitch count right from the start.

He eventually struck out — the first of 10 Ks for Anderson — but he succeeded in helping end the Butler pitcher's night early.

Butler leadoff hitter Kyle Weitzel began the game with a triple, but was stranded there, magnifying a bugaboo that has haunted Butler all season.

The struggles to get clutch hits.

It all added up to a 5-2 section loss for Butler to Central Catholic Friday night at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park.

“Colby really did a great job today,” said Central Catholic coach Pat Walsh. “He ran out of pitches — thank God. We worked him, but we didn't do much against him.”

Anderson cruised through the first four innings, giving up just two singles and striking out eight.

But Butler didn't give him any run support.

The Golden Tornado had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the first after the leadoff triple by Weitzel.

A flyout to center by Anderson was too shallow for Weitzel to tag. Nathan Stutz then walked and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Central starter Conor Deasy got a strikeout and a groundout to end Butler's threat.

“We're fighting. We told them we're fine with the way they're fighting,” said Butler coach Cody Herald. “But the problem is we need to fight from the beginning to the end. If we get a triple in the first inning, we have to find a way to get them in.”

Butler (2-7, 1-2) was the first to dent the scoreboard, however.

Stutz led off with fourth with a single and scored on a double by John Ryan Herold.

Central Catholic (8-3, 1-2) responded in the top of the fifth against Anderson, who gave up a double to Zach Palmer and a triple to the next batter, Deasy.

Deasy scored after a hit batter on a double steal.

Anderson struck out two batters before he had to leave the game after reaching his 100-pitch limit.

“Colby did a heck of a job on the mound, pitching the way we wanted him to pitch and it was working,” Herald said. “Pitch-count rule — he got it up high.”

But Butler may have found another arm in Colin Gallagher, who was called up from the junior varsity team after an injury Wednesday to Josh Grigoletti.

Gallagher was a bit wild — he walked three and hit a batter — but he also struck out three and got out of jams by making some big pitches when he needed to make them.

He also doubled in his first varsity at-bat.

“We bring in Gallagher and this is his first time throwing varsity and he did a good job,” Herald said. “He comes in the box and hits a double.”

Fatigue, though, caught up to Gallagher in the seventh, Herald said.

He gave up three runs in the final inning — only one earned — as the Vikings took a 5-1 lead.

Butler didn't go quietly.

Mattix Clement started a rally with a single and scored on a hit by Weitzel that chased Central Catholic reliever Brett Palmer with two outs and two on in the bottom of the seventh.

Joe Olsavsky got the final out to get the save.

“He's been our closer — we don't really have a closer, but he working the final inning for us,” Walsh said. “Palmer was pitching so well, we left him in.”

Both teams were senior-laden last year and both teams are young this season.

That exuberance nearly boiled over as things got chippy at times.

“I don't mind the chirping — it's baseball,” Herald said. “They were just able to back it up more.”

Walsh said the jawing was a result of both young teams wanting a section win.

“I love emotion — they have it, we have it,” Walsh said. “We like playing them. Cody does a great job. Hopefully both of us can find a way to get through in this tough section and get enough wins to both make the playoffs.”

Central Catholic 000 020 3 — 5 7 0

Butler 000 100 1 — 2 6 1

W: Conor Deasy 4IP (4K, 1BB). L: Colby Anderson 4.2IP (10K, 1BB). SV: Joe Olsavsky 0.1IP (0K, 0BB)

Central Catholic (8-3, 1-2): Jake Rush 1B, Olsavsky 2-1B, Brandon Gelpi 1B RBI, Zach Palmer 2B, Brian Dzuban 2B 2-RBI, Deasy 3B RBI

Butler (2-7, 1-2): Kyle Weitzel 3B 1B RBI, Nathan Stutz 1B, John Ryan Herold 2B RBI, Mattix Clement 1B, Colin Gallagher 2B

Monday: Pine-Richland at Butler at Pullman Park, 7 p.m.