Butler heading to first PIAA baseball championship game thanks to Boden Lenyk, Kyle Casteel’s heroics
BOGGS TWP, Centre County — Boden Lenyk had a two-run homer, a pair of singles and scored another run as Butler baseball downed Owen J. Roberts 4-2 in Monday’s PIAA Class 6A semifinal, sending the Golden Tornado to Thursday’s state final at Penn State University.
Trent Best’s one-out liner scored Lenyk, who led off the top of the first with a base hit off Wildcats (22-6) pitcher Lucas Campbell’s glove. Lenyk sent one over the left-field fence at Bald Eagle Area High School’s Doc Etters Field with two gone during Butler’s next turn to bat.
The Golden Tornado (23-3) will square off with District 1 fourth-place finisher Neshaminy — a 2-1 winner over Pennsbury — for the Pennsylvania crown.
Owen J. Roberts threatened in each of the initial five innings, but it was only able to get to Butler pitcher and West Virginia commit Kyle Casteel once.
With one gone in the bottom of the fourth, the Wildcats’ Evan Sabatino walked, then Campbell doubled. Sabatino scored when second baseman Jake Szebalskie couldn’t corral Anthony Murray’s hard-hit grounder, and Matt Smola’s ensuing single brought Campbell around.
However, Best’s throw from right field got to catcher Mavrik Clement in time to cut down Murray — who was trying to level the scoreboard — and end the half-inning.
Casteel went the distance, reaching the maximum pitch count while striking out 10 in what will be his final high school game on the mound.
The Golden Tornado added an insurance run on Best’s one-out sac fly in the top seventh.
Butler 120 000 1 — 4 7 1
Owen J. Roberts 000 200 0 — 2 5 0
WP: Kyle Casteel. LP: Lucas Campbell.
Butler: Boden Lenyk HR 2-1B 2RBI 2R, Trent Best 1B 2RBI, Nolan Stefaniak 1B, Blake Scott 1B, Karsten Lenyk 1B R, Preston Richter R.
Owen J. Roberts: Matt Smola 1B RBI, Tyler Nau 1B, Adam Stahl 2B, Owen Waltimyer 1B, Evan Sabatino R, Lucas Campbell 1B R.
This story will be updated with postgame reaction and further analysis.
