Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler’s Kierra Smith pitches during a game against Pine Richland in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler’s Gabrielle Catalfano throws the ball to third base during a game against Pine Richland in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler’s Kyra Olivares slides into second base in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

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  Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
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  Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
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  Butler’s Kierra Smith pitches during a game against Pine Richland in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
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  Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
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  Butler’s Gabrielle Catalfano throws the ball to third base during a game against Pine Richland in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
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  Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
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  Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
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  Butler’s Kyra Olivares slides into second base in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
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  Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw
• 

  Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

  Rob McGraw

BUTLER TWP — In a softball game that featured 25 runs, 27 hits and five home runs in just five innings, defense may have carried the day.

Pine-Richland came up with three gems with the gloves during a 19-6 victory Monday afternoon at Butler.

“Huge plays ... all three of them,” Rams coach Sam Hartzberg said. “Once the momentum shifts in a game, all bets are off. Those plays prevented that.”

The Rams (8-3, 5-3) scored twice in the top of the first inning, but the Golden Tornado were primed to take a run at them in the bottom of the inning. With two on and no one out, Shylee Karenbauer drilled a liner that was snagged by first baseman Abbey Skripac. A Kaylin Garbinski sacrifice fly got Butler on the board, then a Kyra Olivares liner was flagged down by leaping second baseman Kylie Kopec.

Butler’s Kierra Smith pitches during a game against Pine Richland in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

“If those balls go through, we may have been looking at a different game,” Butler coach Kara Sroka said. “They (Pine-Richland) had just beat Seneca Valley, but our kids kept battling them today. These girls are all in this year.”

Pine-Richland scored eight times in the second inning to seemingly break the game open, but Lily Vicari slammed a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Butler (2-9, 2-5) got within 11-6 in the third and had Vicari up with two runners on and one out. She grounded sharply to third base, the Rams able to turn an inning-ending double play as a result.

Hartzberg said he talks to the players about “having a lot of hop in the field, to be on your toes and moving.

“Without that movement, we’re caught flat-footed defensively and don’t make those plays,” he said.

The Rams made plenty of plays with their bats. Every Pine-Richland starter had at least one hit and scored at least one run. The team produced 19 hits and four home runs. Calle Henne and Abbey Skripac and two-run homers in the second inning and No. 9 hitter Maddy Myers homered with two outs and none on in the fourth.

Six more runners would cross the plate for the Rams before the Tornado retired the side. Abby Laurent hit a grand slam to center field after Henne was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Butler’s Kyra Olivares slides into second base in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Henne, the Rams’ catcher and a University of Pittsburgh recruit, collected three hits, three RBI and four runs scored on the day.

“There was one aberration, but we’ve been a solid hitting team all season,” Hartzberg said. “Scoring a lot of runs can make up for a lot of things.”

Vicari scored two runs and Alexis Myers had a pair of singles for Butler, which banged out eight hits. Tornado hitters struck out only one time.

“That’s been a point of emphasis this year,” Sroka said of Butler hitters making contact. “We swung ourselves out of a lot of scoring chances the past two years and we’re much better at the plate this season.

“We’re not going to get everything right in one year, but the tide is definitely turning. I like the progress we’re making.”

Butler fell to Pine Richland 19-6 in a softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Pine-Richland 281 71 - 19 19 2

Butler 132 00 - 6 8 3

WP: Keelee Kalinoski 2IP (0K, 2BB). LP: Kierra Smith 1IP (1K, 1BB).

Pine-Richland (8-3, 5-3): Serafina Julio 3-1B 4-R, Sydney Bezila 2-1B 2B 3-RBI 2R, Calle Henne HR 2-1B 3-RBI 4-R, Abbey Laurent HR 4-RBI, Iliana Aggelou 2B RBI 2-R, Abbey Skripac HR 2-RBI, Ellie Myers 3B 2B RBI, Kylie Kopec 2B 1B RBI, Maya Rippole 1B RBI, Maddy Myers 1B HR 2-R.

Butler (2-9, 2-5): Lily Vicari HR 3-RBI 2-R, Annalynn Schnur 1B, Shylee Karenbauer 1B, Aryonna Golob 1B, Kyra Olivares 1B, Marissa Sklencar 1B, Kierra Smith RBI, Alexis Myers 2-1B, Kaylin Garbinski RBI.

Wednesday: Butler at Norwin