WEXFORD — The lone run of the game was not put on base by either pitcher.

That's the kind of softball pitching duel that took place Wednesday at North Allegheny as Mount Lebanon outlasted Butler, 1-0, in 10 innings in a WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal.

Mount Lebanon junior Geena Badolato struck out 12 and tossed a two-hitter. Butler junior Angie Reddick fanned five and did not walk a batter. Both hurlers went the distance.

"I'm just starting to breathe about now," Blue Devils coach Nikki Fajtak said. "That was a flawless defensive game played by both teams.

"I saw Butler play a couple of times earlier this year. I knew they fielded well and don't hurt themselves. I expected a good game today. I didn't expect anything like this."

When a game is tied through nine innings, the PIAA uses the international fastpitch softball rule that has both teams begin the 10th with a runner at second base.

Bre Tongel was that runner for the Blue Devils in the top of the 10th. She moved to third on an infield out. Badolato then grounded to Golden Tornado third baseman Sadie Marak.

Marak faked a throw to first and lunged at Tongel as she dove back into the third base bag. The play was close and Tongel was ruled safe.

Reddick struck out the next batter and had an 0-2 count on Alexa Hagenbrock, Mt. Lebanon's No. 8 hitter. Hagenbrock then singled to center to bring in the game's only run.

"Angie is one of the best pitchers in the WPIAL. She keeps proving that," Butler coach Lori Kline said. "Her performance today was unbelievable.

"She has a huge heart out on the mound and we have her for two more years. She's a great pitcher and a great player."

Reddick entered Wednesday's game with a 1.97 earned run average and a .429 batting average. She reached base three times against Badolato.

Amber Steinheiser came off the bench to be Butler's runner at second to begin the home half of the 10th. Jocelyn Bachman — who had one of the Tornado's two hits on the day — hit a soft liner toward second on the first pitch.

Second baseman Jennifer Bahm caught the ball just above her shoetops, then fired to shortstop Tess Apke to double off Steinheiser. Karen Cumberledge grounded out to third to end the game.

"That was a heads up play by Jen in a clutch situation," Fajtak said. "It was probably the difference in the game because their big hitters were coming up.

"It was going to take a play like that to decide a game like this."

Butler stranded runners at second and third in the fourth inning, at first and third in the sixth, at first and second in the eighth.

Badolato walked four batters and hit two others. She's allowed only six runs all season and tossed her 12th shutout. Mount Lebanon won its 16th straight game, the Blue Devils' lone loss being a 1-0 decision to Shaler in the season opener.

"Our girls came out believing they could win and if we played this game again, we might win," Kline said. "I'm proud of these girls and I'm proud of this program.

"We go through fielding drills all the time, every situation, over and over, so it becomes routine for them. We worked these girls so hard every day and they kept coming back for more."

Mt. Lebanon had two baserunners in an inning only once before the 10th. Tongel and Mathison had back-to-back singles with two outs in the seventh, but Reddick struck out Badolato to end the threat.

Wednesday's contest was Mt. Lebanon's first game action in 13 days.

"The layoff hurt our bats a little bit," Fajtak said. "We'll work harder in the cage and maybe get a scrimmage before our next game. There's nothing like live pitching."

Especially on this day.

Mt. Lebanon 000 000 000 1 — 1 6 1Butler 000 000 000 0— 0 2 0W: Geena Badolato (10 IP) 12 K, 4 BB.

L: Angie Reddick (10 IP) 5 K, 0 BB.

Mt. Lebanon (16-1): Jennifer Bahm 1B, Emily Freisleben 1B, Bre Tongel 1B, Kathleen Mathison 1B, Alexa Hagenbrock 1B RBI, Ashley Darabant 1B

Butler (10-6): Jocelyn Bachman 1B, Jenna Geibel 1B