UNIVERSITY PARK — The clutch play that had been such a big part of Butler baseball’s historic 2026 season eluded the Golden Tornado in the most crucial moments Thursday night.

Five errors in the field and bats that were held hitless until the sixth inning were too much to overcome as Neshaminy hung a 7-3 loss on Butler in the PIAA Class 6A championship game at Penn State University’s Medlar Field.

“You get here (state final), and you’re hoping to play your best game of the season,” Butler coach Josh Forbes said. “It stinks when it turns out to be one of your worst.”

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Butler’s uncharacteristic mistakes in the field began early. Starting pitcher Nolan Stefaniak allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the first. Other errors followed in the third and fourth, but Stefaniak wiggled his way out of those frames unscathed.

“I don’t think I had my best stuff, but I was able to get a lot of ground balls,” said Stefaniak, who found himself in a mess in the bottom of the fifth.

Four base hits by the Skins (21-7), along with another error and a wild pitch led to four runs for Neshaminy. Dan Marable, Noah Wallace and Matt Gryn each singled in a run during the spree.

Stefaniak was relieved by Trent Best in the sixth. The former pitched 5.2 innings for the Tornado (23-4), striking out three and walking three. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits.

“How many balls did they (Skins) square up today?” Forbes asked. “One, I think. Their other hits were all jam jobs or off the end of the bat.”

As a Penn State commit, Stefaniak pitched Thursday on the same field he’ll be playing on in college.

“We face pitchers of his caliber all the time in our league,” Neshaminy coach Dan Toner said. “We faced guys going to Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and Wake Forest. Our players aren’t fazed by high velocity.”

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Butler did not tally a hit until Stefaniak’s double to left to lead off the top of the sixth. He was driven home by Ryan Rattigan’s single with one out against Neshaminy reliever Gryn.

Butler received a leadoff triple from Nash Cuffman in its last gasp in the seventh. Mavrik Clement singled him in, but soon after, Gryn shut the door to clinch the state crown for Neshaminy.

“Matt threw 75 pitches in the semifinal win against Pennsbury,” said Toner. “Had he thrown 76, he would have been ineligible today. That worked in our favor because we look at Chase and him as 1A and 1B.”

Neshaminy starter Chase Bonner had a very unique outing. He allowed no hits in his 4.1 innings of work but walked four straight batters in the bottom of the second, with Cuffman earning an RBI with his free pass. He had struck out four before his series of walks began.

Bonner was forced to throw 39 pitches in the second inning alone.

“He lost control there for a bit, and that’s happened to Chase a few times this season,” Toner said. “He was dialed in after that.”

Due to the first two games of Thursday’s triple-header running late and a line of rain showers in the late afternoon, the game was pushed back almost three-and-a-half hours.

“We had infield/outfield practice, then a very long break and no batting practice afterward,” Forbes said. “Like, a break of several hours. I know it was the same for both teams, and it’s not the reason we lost.”

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It may have come up one win short of the biggest prize, but the 2026 season will and should be remembered fondly by those involved with and who follow Butler baseball.

“We reached a place most teams never get to,” Forbes said. “We have a lot to be proud of.”

“I’m going to remember everything it took to get here, and everybody who helped me improve as a player,” said Rattigan, who had one of Butler’s four hits.

BUTLER 010 001 1 — 3 4 5

NESHAMINY 100 042 X — 7 7 1

Scoring

B1 — Chase Bonner grounds out to first base, Mike Sassano scores.

T2 — Nash Cuffman walks, Jacob Szbalskie scores.

B5 — Dan Marable singles to center field, Michael Welsh scores.

B5 — Noah Wallace singles to left field, Marable scores.

B5 — Brandon Lall scores on wild pitch.

B5 — Matthew Gryn singles to shortstop, Noah Wallace scores.

T6 — Ryan Rattigan singles to left field, Nolan Stefaniak scores.

B6 — Marable singles to right field, Sassano scores.

B6 — Bonner picked off at first base, Marable steals home.

T7 — Mavrik Clement singles to left field, Nash Cuffman scores.

Butler (h-r-ab-rbi) — Boden Lenyk 4-0-0-0, Mavrik Clement 3-0-1-1, Trent Best 2-0-0-0, Nolan Stefaniak 4-1-1-0, Toby Geibel 0-0-0-0, Blake Scott 3-0-0-0, Ryan Rattigan 2-1-1-1, Karsten Lenyk 2-0-0-0, Jacob Szbalskie 2-0-0-0, Nash Cuffman 1-1-1-1. Totals: 23-3-4-3.

Neshaminy (h-r-ab-rbi) — Mike Sassano 3-2-0-0, Dan Marable 3-2-2-2, Chase Bonner 4-0-1-1, Brandon Lall 2-1-1-0, Noah Wallace 3-1-1-1, Matthew Gryn 3-0-1-1, Sam Hitchen 3-0-0-0, Nick Sassano 2-0-0-0, Dylan Cloud 1-0-0-0, Michael Welsh 1-1-1-0. Totals: 25-7-7-5.

3B — Butler (Cuffman); 2B — Butler (Stefaniak); SB — Neshaminy (M. Sassano 2, Marable 2).

Butler pitching — Nolan Stefaniak (L) 5.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; Trent Best 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K. Neshaminy pitching — Chase Bonner 4.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 8 K; Matthew Gryn (W) 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.

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