Boden Lenyk shines in Butler baseball win over Central Catholic
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Butler's Owen Boring (7) steals second base in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Boden Lenyk (1) bats in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Trent Best (19) bats in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Nolan Stefaniak (14) bats in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Regan Peth (6) tags Central Catholic out at second base in a baseball game at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Nolan Stefaniak (14) catches a foul ball in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's celebrates as they take the lead in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Kyle Casteel (23) pitches in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Nolan Stefaniak (14) celebrates the team's victory over Central Catholic in a baseball game at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Mavrik Clement (5) runs to first base in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Nolan Stefaniak (14) celebrates the team's victory over Central Catholic in a baseball game at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Owen Boring (7) runs to first base in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Regan Peth (6) jumps into first base after swerving around Central Catholic's first baseman in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Mavrik Clement (5) throws the ball to first base in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Nolan Stefaniak (14) tags a runner out at first base in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Preston Richter (15) slides into first base to prevent being tagged out in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Boden Lenyk (1) throws to first base after tagging a runner out at second base in a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Aaron Lunn (10) and Tanner Pry (25) celebrates the team's third out in the second inning during a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Aaron Lunn (10) and Tanner Pry (25) celebrates the team's third out in the second inning during a baseball game against Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Talk about versatility.
Butler junior Boden Lenyk put on quite a demonstration of it during the Golden Tornado’s 4-1 Section 1-6A baseball win over Central Catholic at Pullman Park on Wednesday.
Lenyk pitched 2.2 innings of relief to get the victory, delivered the game-winning hit in the fifth and created a key double play in the seventh during the triumph.
“Just let your players play,” Butler coach Josh Forbes said. “Boden can do a lot of things.”
The Tornado (9-4, 5-3) stayed mathematically alive in the section title race and will play a three-game series against Seneca Valley next week to determine the final spot in the standings for both teams. Butler concludes its current three-game series Friday at Central Catholic.
“Baseball can be tough,” Central coach Brad Bestic said. “It’s all about getting the clutch hit and we didn’t do that today.”
The Vikings (4-9, 2-9) stranded nine runners on the day, six in scoring position. They managed four total hits against four Butler pitchers. The Tornado stranded only one runner in the game.
Butler starting pitcher Kyle Casteel strained his back while delivering a pitch in the second inning and had to leave the game. Preston Richter, Lenyk and Mavrik Clement followed him to the mound.
“Our pitching definitely didn’t go as planned today,” Forbes said. “We wanted Kyle to go six innings or so. Instead, this became our bullpen game when Friday was supposed to be our bullpen game.
“All of the pitchers did the job. We got out of jams and kept them off the board.”
The Tornado managed only two singles off Central starter Josh McFadden in the first four innings, The Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Reece Hankison drew a lead-off walk, stole second, moved to third on an infield out and scored on a wild pitch.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Butler’s offense went to work. Regan Peth singled to center and Karsten Lenyk walked. Owen Boring, the ninth hitter in the order, doubled to right to tie the game.
Boden Lenyk then drilled a two-run double over the center fielder’s head to give the Tornado a 3-1 lead. Butler added a run in the sixth when Trent Best walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored in Nolan Stefaniak’s single to left.
“My first two at-bats, he (McFadden) started me off with a breaking ball both times,” Boden said. “I was sitting on a first-pitch breaking ball in that third at-bat and hit it pretty good.”
Boden tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, throwing 55 pitches in getting the win. Clement pitched the seventh inning for the save. After walking Landon Greene to begin the inning, Clement got CJ Proch to hit a high chopper toward second, Boden Lenyk snared the ball, quickly stepped on second and fired to first to complete a double play.
“I figured I might pitch an inning today, but going in earlier ... It doesn’t change the mindset,” Boden said. “On the double play, I saw the bounce and wanted to charge the ball and flip it back to my brother (Karsten) at second. But the ball carried higher in the air, toward the bag, and I had to make sure we got the lead runner.”
Boring led the Tornado with a double and single. Butler was limited to six hits.
“Butler navigated its way through this game. They got it done. We have to give them credit for that,” Bestic said.
Central Cath. 000 010 0 - 1 4 0
Butler 000 031x - 4 6 0
WP: Boden Lenyk 2.2IP (3so, 3bb). LP: Josh McFadden 5.1IP (4so, 2bb).
Central Catholic (4-9, 2-9): Reece Hankisoin 2B, Troy Kulkowski 1B, Richie Lynch 1B, Chase Gelpi 1B.
Butler (9-4, 5-3): Boden Lenyk 2B 2-RBI, Nolan Stefaniak 1B RBI, Preston Richter 1B, Regan Peth 1B, Owen Boring 1B 2B RBI.
Friday: Butler at Central Catholic
