BUTLER TWP — Last game, last frame, last bowler.

That's what Wednesday's North Allegheny-Butler WPIBL boys bowling match came down to at Family Bowlaway.

The Tigers' anchor, Andrew Cook, picked up a spare to close out the match and hand undefeated NA a narrow 4-3 victory over Butler (6-2).

The Tigers won the third game by 13 pins.

“Honestly, I wasn't expecting this,” Butler coach Bob Cupp said. “I didn't think it would be this close, down to the wire like that.

“We have a young team. NA is so experienced and they've just been cleaning house. We put a little chink in their armor, anyway.”

Butler honored its seniors before the match — Lauren Bash, Grace Blank, Rachael Blose and Reegan Malis — who are all females. The Golden Tornado boys lineup had four sophomores and a junior.

“They got a taste of what high-level high school competition is all about,” Cupp said of his team. “Shaler really pushed us last week and that helped prepare us for this.

“I thought we responded well.”

North Allegheny (9-0) won the first game by 21 pins, 904-883. Eric Devore, another sophomore, came off the bench late in that game for the Tornado and strung together a few strikes to make it close.

Butler won the second game by 37 pins, 938-901, to force the decisive third game. Brock Hepler, who struggled in the first game, bounced back to roll a 204 while Rocco Rice had a 206 and Marty Imhof a 200 in that second game.

“That was the first game we've lost all year,” North Allegheny coach Bill Jorden said. “We have three seniors in our lineup and Dylan (Scheidler) has the second highest average in all of the WPIBL.

“But I'm never confident coming to Butler. It's always tough here.”

Joey Lydon had a 205 — including two strikes in the final frame — to spark the Tigers in the third game. Scheidler added a 178 and had a 600 series.

Hepler put together a pair of strikes in the final frame of the third game to keep the Tornado alive. Rice had a 206, Imhof a 203 in that last game.

“We hung right with them,” Cupp said.

Butler wound up winning total pins by three.

“We missed 10 makeable spares in the first game, 11 in the third,” Cupp said. “North Allegheny wasn't missing that many, yet we still kept it close. But that was the difference.”

“I enjoy a close match like this,” Jorden said. “It's more exciting, though it makes your heart race a little bit. You like to see your kids pushed to see how they respond and Butler definitely pushed us today.”

The Tornado girls (8-0) stayed unbeaten with a 7-0 win over the Tigers (3-6). Bash had a 193 in the first game for Butler. Harley Kriess had a 179, Malis a 174 game and 491 series. Grace Blank had a 484 series.

“We have a chance to qualify six boys and six girls to the WPIBL singles tournament,” Cupp said. “A bowler needs to have a least 21 games in to qualify.

“We're trying to juggle our lineup enough down the stretch to get those games in. All eight of our girls have high enough averages to get there, but we can't get all eight enough games to qualify.”

Butler has a bye match, then hosts Seneca Valley next week.