Tornado's comeback kids stun Fox Chapel

Tornado's comeback kids stun Fox Chapel
4-run 6th inning helps Butler get past Foxes, 9-7

BUTLER TWP — Six batters into the top of the first inning, the Butler baseball team trailed 4-0 and had yet to retire a Fox Chapel batter.
Perfect. The Golden Tornado had the Foxes right where they wanted them.
For the third time this season and for the second consecutive Monday, Butler fell behind an opponent at home early by four runs or more only to come back and win.
This time Fox Chapel was the victim of these Kardiac Kids, who rallied with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 9-7 win.
"It's not good for the ticker," said Butler coach Dave Florie. "It seems like it has been that kind of a team this year. When they get behind, they find a way."
Between innings, Florie told his team about the Kardiac Kid teams of the St. Louis Cardinals in the mid-1970s. The players didn't even remember the second incarnation of the Kardiac Kids of the Cleveland Browns in 1980.
No matter, the Tornado are picking up the mantle of those squads quite nicely.
"Coach always tells us to never give up," said Ryan Fennell, who struck out eight in seven innings of relief to earm the win. "Whether we're down by five or 10 runs, we always feel like we can come back. It's probably our best asset: our ability to come back."
Fennell was a big reason why Butler (8-2, 4-1) was able to rally.
C.J. Miller started the game, but faced only six batters, giving up four runs — two earned — while not recording an out for the second straight Monday.
Last week, the same fate befell Miller against Pine-Richland. And, as in that game, Fennell pitched brilliantly in relief to aid the Butler comeback.
Fennell, who threw more than 100 pitches, gave up three runs while scattering six hits.
Throwing a two-seem fastball that ran in on Fox Chapel's right-handed hitters and a curveball that at times dropped off the table, five of Fennell's strikeouts came on called third strikes.
"I just dug deep," Fennell said of his outing. "Your adrenaline is pumping so much in the seventh that you don't care."
Going into the season, Florie said Fennell wasn't even in the top three of his pitching rotation.
But after his mastery so far this season, he might just be No. 1.
"He's been the man," Florie said. "We wouldn't have been in the position to come back if it were not for this guy."
That and the potent bats up and down the Butler lineup.
Eight of the nine batters in the order got at least one hit as Butler quickly went to work chipping away at Fox Chapel's early advantage.
The Golden Tornado scored two runs in each of the first two innings to cut the lead to 5-4.
After the Foxes tacked on a run in the top of the fourth innings, Butler responded with a run in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double from Roman Bargo.
That set the stage for the four-run bottom of the sixth inning, keyed by a pair of perfect bunts and a clutch two-run double by John Crummy.
The double put Butler ahead 7-6. A passed ball allowed Bargo to score from third and an RBI single by Bobby Swartwout gave the Golden Tornado a three-run cushion.
Nearing the midway point of the section season, Butler is sitting near the top, one game behind North Allegheny, which handed the Tornado its only league loss last week.
Even if the Tornado fall behind big again in a game, Florie will breathe a little easier.
"If it ever happens again — like next Monday — I'll start relaxing a little bit more," Florie said, laughing.

Fox Chapel 410 010 1 — 7 10 3
Butler 220 104 x — 9 12 2
W: Ryan Fennell 7 IP (8 K, 2 BB). L: J.T. Terwilliger 4 IP (2 K, 0 BB).
Fox Chapel (5-5, 1-5): Mike Monahan 2-1B; Terwilliger 2-1B; Josh Barbara 2B, 2-RBI; J.T. Healy 2B, 1B
Butler (8-2, 4-1): Mick Fennell 2-1B; Roman Bargo 2B, 2-RBI; John Crummy 2B, 2-RBI; Bobby Swartwout 2-1B, RBI; Ryan Fennell 2B, 1B, 2-RBI; Cody Herald 2-1B; Cody Montgomery 1B; Colin Williamson 1B