Knoch’s Mason Heller, fresh off PIAA basketball run, stifles Butler baseball’s bats in non-section win
BUTLER TWP — When Mason Heller needed to throw strikes, he did.
Butler had the tying runs in scoring position with none out in the fourth inning Saturday at Pullman Park. But Knoch’s sophomore right-hander struck out Nash Cuffman and Karsten Lenyk, then got Jake Szebakskie to fly out to left field.
Wriggling out of that jam proved key in Knoch’s 3-1 baseball victory.
“Just adrenalin, I guess,” Heller said of generating the strikeouts. He retired only one other batter on strikes in his four innings of work.
Heller threw 50 pitches and allowed only three hits.
“He was on the basketball team, so with that season running long, Mason hasn’t gotten a lot of baseball work in yet,” Knoch coach Bill Stoops said. “We were going to limit his pitch count today.
“He showed a lot of poise out there. His breaking stuff was getting over and we pitched their hitters backwards at times, using the breaking stuff to set up the fastball. Mason is our No. 3 or 4 starter. We have some depth on the mound this year.”
Heller said he had been getting some throwing and other baseball workouts in while basketball was still going on.
“I wanted to be ready, and I feel like I am ready,” he said. “Everything was working today. My changeup and curve were my best pitches. My fastball played well after those.”
The Knights (2-1) scored three unearned runs off Butler starter Nolan Stefaniak in the third inning. Heller began the frame by beating out an infield single. After Cooper Allison laid down a sacrifice bunt, consecutive infield errors enabled Knoch’s first run to score.
Dylan Roth’s groundout plated Kaden Dreher, and Landon Harrison drilled a run-scoring double to left.
“We capitalized on their mistakes and we didn’t make any,” Stoops said. “That was the difference in this game.”
The Golden Tornado (2-1) threatened to knot the game in the fourth. Trent Best reached on a bunt single, Stefaniak walked and Blake Scott delivered a run-scoring single to right. Scott took second on a throw to the plate.
That’s when Heller took control and escaped further damage.
“He made some good pitches,” Butler coach Jason Forbes said. “We were out in front a lot today, hit a lot of lazy fly balls.”
Dreher, a senior left-hander, shut down Butler on one hit over the final three innings to get the save.
Stefaniak was a hard-luck loser for the Tornado, allowing no earned runs and striking out five in five innings. He allowed just two hits.
“To beat a team like that, a pitcher who throws in the 90s like that. ... This win gives us a lot of confidence,” Heller said.
Stefaniak and Ryan Rattigan combined to throw just 80 pitches over seven innings.
“We were efficient on the mound,” Forbes said. “We lost to a team that wanted it more than we did. We’ll learn from this. We’ll see how we respond next time out.”
Knoch 003 000 0 — 3 4 0
Butler 000 100 0 — 1 4 2
WP: Mason Heller 4IP (3so, 2bb). LP: Nolan Stefaniak 5IP (5so, 0bb).
Knoch (2-1): Dante Pelloni RBI, Dylan Roth 1B RBI, Landon Harrison 1B 2B RBI, Mason Heller 1B.
Butler (2-1): Trent Best 2-1B, Blake Scott 1B RBI, Ryan Rattigan 2B.
Tuesday: Baldwin at Butler
Wednesday: Knoch at North Hills
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Boden Lenyk (1) runs to first base in a season-opening baseball game against Knoch Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Nolan Stefaniak (14) pitches in a season-opening baseball game against Knoch Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Mason Heller (13) pitches in a season-opening baseball game against Butler Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Mason Heller (13) pitches in a season-opening baseball game against Butler Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Carter Beres (6) catches the ball in a season-opening baseball game against Butler Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Landon Harrison (21) celebrates taking second base in a season-opening baseball game against Butler Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Jake Szebalskie (12) tags a Knoch player out in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Dante Pelloni (1) catches a ball thrown to first base in a season-opening baseball game against Butler Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated Butler 3-1 in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Brady Linamen (8) celebrates their 3-1 win over Butler in a season-opening baseball game Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Pullman Park. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
