Very little was known about Butler pitchers Mark Gross, Wyatt Daugherty, Jesse Savisky and Nick Reamer coming into the season.

The rest of WPIAL Section 1-AAAA certainly know them now.

The quartet has been a big reason why the Golden Tornado have bounced back from a two-win season in 2013 to an 8-2 overall record and a perfect 5-0 section mark in 2014.

“It's very satisfying,” said the left-handed Reamer, who has been the late-inning stopper out of the bullpen for the Golden Tornado this season. “Last year was not the greatest. This year, coming back and beating all these teams, we really enjoy it.

“We came together before the season as a pitching staff and said, 'We're not doing that again this year,” Reamer added. “It really motivates us every game, every inning.”

The proof has been in the numbers.

Butler has been stingy when it comes to coughing up runs.

The Golden Tornado have given up one or fewer runs in eight of their 10 games this season, including a 9-0 shutout of North Hills to wrap up the first half of the section schedule.

In those five league wins, Butler has surrendered 11 runs — nine of those coming against Seneca Valley Wednesday afternoon. Only five of those were earned.

The impressive numbers have even shocked the pitchers.

“That's what you always hope for,” Gross said, smiling. Gross tossed a gem against North Allegheny earlier in the season, winning 2-1. “I'm hoping we can continue it.”

So does Butler coach Todd Erdos, a former major league pitcher who spent parts of six big league seasons with the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and the Boston Red Sox.

His formula this season has been simple: get ahead in the count and keep the ball low in the zone.

“Each guy has a little different repertoire and different pitches he likes to throw in different situations, but mainly, it's working ahead and working down in the zone,” Erdos said. “You want to make the hitter expand the zone and swing at the pitches he doesn't want to hit. Our guys have been doing a great job doing that.

“It's very hard to execute on a consistent basis,” Erdos added, smiling. “It certainly is easier said than done sometimes, but we've had four guys so far this year who have been doing that.”

Savisky, the latest to throw a gem in a shutout over North Hills, said the pitchers are trying to one-up each other.

“There's definitely some competition between us,” Savisky said. “It really drives us to do better than what we would be without competition.”

Reamer has been the guy to get the difficult outs late in the game.

He picked up a save against Knoch earlier in the season and another against Seneca Valley.

To Reamer, it's all in the mind-set.

“I have started before, but I like closing out games,” Reamer said. “You have to have confidence and intensity when you go out there.”

All four have confidence in the defense behind them.

Shortstop Cory Wheeler has made highlight-reel plays a matter of routine. Perhaps more importantly, though, the defense has made the routine outs as well, Gross said.

“It's the confidence in knowing you can throw your pitches and you have the defense behind you to make the plays,” Gross said.

Daugherty said the slew of dangerous hitters in Section 1-AAAA has made what the Butler staff has done so far even more remarkable.

“There are a lot of good hitters in this section,” Daugherty said. “You have to keep your pitches down and not make mistakes.”

The second half should be a test for the Golden Tornado staff.

They are no longer anonymous; The word is out.

That's just fine, Daugherty said. They are ready for the challenge.

“We came into the year expecting to be better, and so far we have been,” Daugherty said. “We're determined to keep it up.”