Tornado at their best
Butler girls stop NH, 4-2, for key win

By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor

BUTLER TWP - One look at the section standings and it wasn't hard to figure out.
"Now is the time we have to play our best ball," Butler varsity softball coach Lori Kline said Saturday.
The Golden Tornado are doing exactly that, following up a 2-1 win over Shaler Friday with a 4-2 triumph over North Hills Saturday.
The victories moved Butler from being on the WPIAL playoff bubble to having a shot at second place in Section 3-AAAA.
"I've played in this section and now I'm coaching in this section," North Hills coach Libby Gasior said. "You're never out of it. Winning the key games is what it's all about."
The Tornado did so Saturday, scoring all four of their runs in the fourth inning while collecting five hits in the frame.
The game was scoreless entering the bottom of the fourth, thanks to a big defensive play by Butler third baseman Sara Cobern in the top of the inning. North Hills began its fourth with a walk to Rach Van Atta and a single to center by Jess Rectenwald.
With runners on first and second, Amanda Shepard drilled a liner toward third that Cobern caught just above her foot. She fired to second to catch Van Atta off the bag for a rally-killing double play.
"That was a big play ... a huge play," Kline said.
It was compounded by Butler's offensive explosion in the bottom of the frame. The Tornado were held to two hits in the first three innings by Van Atta.
With one out in the fourth, however, Angie Reddick singled to center and Jenna Geibel lined a single to left. Geibel had three hits on the day.
Erica Thrower beat out a slow roller to shortstop and the bases were loaded. Amanda Skidmore hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Reddick. When the right fielder's throw got away, Geibel crossed the plate.
Cobern followed with a single to right and moved to second on a throw to the plate. Dayna Sikorski delivered a two-run single to center to complete the uprising.
"That double play in the top of the inning was a key play, but the biggest thing was Butler's timely hitting," Gasior said. "They had it and we didn't."
With the help of a dropped pop fly Butler's only error in its two weekend wins the Indians scored twice in the sixth. Rectenwald's third hit of the game, a run-scoring double, was the key blow.
Reddick polished off her complete-game victory by pitching a perfect seventh, striking out two in the frame.
"We've been playing well defensively," Kline said. "We're doing what we need to do to win games. The girls are playing with confidence."
Butler begins play this week one game behind second-place Shaler and a game in front of Pine-Richland and North Hills in Section 3-AAAA.

North Hills 000 002 0 2 7 2
Butler 000 040 x 4 8 1
W: Angie Reddick (7 IP) 4 K, 1 BB. L: Rach Van Atta (4 IP) 4 K, 0 BB.
North Hills (5-6, 3-5): Stef Wiegand 1B, Julie Havrilla 1B, Jess Rectenwald 2-1B 2B RBI, Amanda Shepard 2-1B RBI
Butler (8-4, 4-4): Angie Reddick 1B, Jenna Geibel 2B 2-1B, Erica Thrower 2-1B, Amanda Skidmore RBI, Sara Cobern 1B, Dayna Sikorski 1B 2-RBI