BUTLER TWP — The match started in a favorable spot for Butler — and the Golden Tornado took advantage.

Levi Donnel scored a technical fall at 145 pounds, Cade Savochka, Matt Zinkhann, Mickey Kreinbucher and Landon Christie followed with pins, and Butler had a 29-0 lead en route to a 51-29 dual match wrestling win over South Fayette Thursday night.

The victory closed out the Golden Tornado’s home schedule. Butler honored seniors Matt Kovocovsky, Domenic Vivirito, Cooper Baxter, Jake Pomykata and Savochka before the match.

“The match started in a good place for them, not for us,” South Fayette coach Rick Chussard said. “Our strengths are 113 (pounds) through 145. They just overpowered us early.”

Only two of Butler’s five seniors wrestled in the match. Kovocovsky is not in the regular lineup, Baxter (5-1) has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury sustained early in the campaign. Pomykata (21-4) won by forfeit at heavyweight.

“Jake’s not the best athlete, but he knows his strengths on the mat,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said. “He stays within his wheelhouse and does well. We don’t hesitate to start Jake on top in close matches. We trust his skill-set there.”

Savochka improved to 16-15 with his pin, which occurred with 49 seconds left in the 152-pound match. It was his eighth fall of the season.

Savochka has been in the Butler wrestling program since first grade.

“It was very important for me to win on this night,” he said. “I love the competition in this sport. My goal is to get to 20 wins this season.”

The Tornado (17-4) have seven 20-win wrestlers so far this season. They include Ana Malovich at 106 pounds, Gavin Rush at 120, Vivirito at 138, Levi Donnel at 145, Zinkhann at 160, Mickey Kreinbucher at 172 and Pomykata. Four others — Savochka, Kelly Schaukowitsch (19 wins), Kase Chopp (19) and Landon Christie (17) — are on the verge of getting there.

Baxter, with 90 wins in his varsity career and a third-place finisher at the WPIAL tournament last season, certainly would have reached 20 wins had he stayed healthy.

“Cooper would have made a difference in some of our close losses this year,” Stoner said. “But Landon has gotten a lot more action in Cooper’s absence and has really developed as a wrestler.”

Vivirito (22-9) closed the dual Wednesday with a 15-3 major decision. He has 13 pins on the year after getting 14 last year. He has 69 wins in his varsity career.

“I hate going last,” Vivirito said of being Butler’s final wrestler on the mat. “It wasn’t the case tonight, but sometimes a dual can come down to that last match. Still, I really wanted to win this one, my last match at home.”

Vivirito’s career highlight was going 6-0 at the Virginia Duals this season.

“I almost pinned every kid I faced,” he said. “That was a fun weekend.”

South Fayette fell to 3-4 with the loss. The Lions forfeited to Malovich at 106 pounds in a surprise move, bumping Allen Timco up to 113 to face Schaukowitsch.

“Our regular 113-pounder is in COVID-19 protocol and we don’t have any backups,” Chussard said. “Our only chance there was to try to catch their 113-pound kid by surprise, thinking he didn’t have a match.”

Schaukowitsch pinned Timko in 21 seconds.

Wednesday’s win was the 410th dual match victory of Stoner’s career. Butler travels to Indiana Friday night.

Butler 51, South Fayette 19

(Match started at 145 pounds)

106-Ana Malovich (B) by forfeit; 113-Kelley Schaukowitsch (B) pinned Allen Timko, :21; 120-James Anderson (SF) tech. fall over Gavin Rush, 19-4 (5:59); 126-Jon Baiano (SF) dec. Kase Chopp, 16-8; 132-Domenic Oliastro (SF) dec. Legend Wilkinson, 9-1; 138-Domenic Vivirito (B) dec. Cohlman Carpenter, 15-3; 145-Levi Donnel (B) tech. fall over Talen Mizenko, 16-0 (3:48); 152-Cade Savochka (B) pinned Dominic Diagiacomo, 5:11; 160-Matt Zinkhann (B) pinned Travis Watkins, 1:02; 172-Mickey Kreinbucher (B) pinned Landen Schweinberg, :43; 189-Landon Christie (B) pinned Aiden Lockett, 1:54; 215-Anthony Oliastro (SF) pinned Braylon May, 1:19; Hwt.-Jake Pomykata (B) by forfeit