JEFFERSON TWP — Saxonburg American Legion baseball coach Mike Hickey hopes what his team accomplished this season is the start of a machine.

With four starters from Knoch High School’s state title team in the starting lineup, Saxonburg held off a stiff challenge from top-seeded East Butler for the Butler County American Legion title with a 4-3, eight-inning win Saturday at Laura Doerr Park.

Shortstop Mike McCarty, third baseman Garrett Traggiai along with outfielders Dominick Bucko and Logan Hickey all started in the Knights’ 7-5 win over Abington Heights in the Class AAA title game in June.

Knoch varsity assistant coach Steve Hall is Mike Hickey’s assistant coach, while George Bradley, the Knights’ varsity head coach, kept the scorebook.

“We’re hoping this a pattern for all the high schoolers coming out,” Mike Hickey said. “Saxonburg breeds them from Saxonburg area baseball right through high school. We all get along and it’s a good program.”

Due to the high school team’s run, Saxonburg started the season late. Once everyone got back, everything fell into place.

“We all go to Knoch so we mesh really well,” McCarty said. “It didn’t take much, just play well.”

Even with all the experience, fourth-seeded Saxonburg (12-3-1) had to get out of its own way to beat East Butler (14-5-1). Saxonburg made six errors and had to figure out East Butler pitcher Jeremy Moorhead, who pitched seven-plus innings and struck out two batters.

East Butler coach Steve Armahizer thought Moorhead pitched a great game.

“He kept them to three runs and it should have been less,” Armahizer said. “Jeremy struck two or three kids out two or three times and (the umpire) didn’t ring them up. That’s a killer when you have to strike a kid out two or three times. That’s how it worked, I guess.”

Hyte Eurich drew a lead-off walk in the eighth, which set in motion the play Saxonburg needed to earn the win. The next batter, Jordan Hickey, bunted between first base and the pitcher’s mound.

Moorhead fell down while fielding the ball and his throw went past first base into right field. East Butler had trouble getting the ball back in and Eurich scored on a two-base error to clinch the walk-off win.

“Yeah for sure,” said Eurich when asked if he was waiting for a strike. “(Moorhead) was tired. He threw 120 pitches or something like that. Wait your turn and get a good pitch to hit.”

East Butler built a 2-0 lead through three innings. Chad White doubled in DJ Osche in the first, while Alex Seybert scored in the third after hitting a single and moved around following three errors. Gavin Miller’s pick-off attempt went wide of the bag when Seybert was on first, then Traggiai and McCarty had trouble picking up ground balls.

McCarty tied the game in the fourth with a double that scored Jeremy Frazier and Logan Hickey. Neither team scored again until the sixth. Bucko drew a lead-off walk for Saxonburg and moved to third on a single by Miller. Frazier brought Bucko in with a sacrifice fly. East Butler forced extra innings when Osche smashed a single up the middle that bounced off the edge of the infield and went to the fence. That scored Jon Hansotte, who doubled to lead off the inning.

East Butler had runners on first and second after Seybert drew a walk off Miller. Brian Jack, who threw 1.2 innings to earn the win, came on in relief and forced White to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Armahizer said he didn’t have any of his usual infielders available due to scheduling issues. He was upset the game couldn’t be pushed back.

All games had to be played by Saturday.

“We didn’t have our full players. We didn’t have a guy that typically starts in our infield starting in our infield today,” Armahizer said. “Unfortunately, they wouldn’t help us out even though we helped them out last Thursday by pushing games back and they weren’t willing to do it tonight.

“They would take a forfeit. I feel it was kind of gutless a little bit on their part to not come with a full squad. These guys played their hearts out and I can’t ask for anything else.”

McCarty was happy to add another win to his resume.

What league or season the win came in doesn’t matter to him.

“I get the same effect just winning the game,” McCarty said. “Playing the game hard and winning.”

East Butler 101 000 10 — 3 5 1

Saxonburg 000 201 01 — 4 5 6

Winning run scored with no outs in 8th

W: Brian Jack 1.2IP (0K, 0BB). L: Jeremy Moorhead 7+IP (2K, 5BB).

East Butler: Chad White 2B RBI, Colby McClelland 1B, Alex Seybert 1B R, Jone Hansotte 2B, DJ OSche 1B RBI.

Saxonburg: Mike McCarty 1B 2B 2-RBI, Jordan Hickey 1B, Jeremy Frazier 1B R RBI, Gavin Miller 1B, Dominick Bucko R.