Lose and play on. Win — and go on vacation.

That's how the Butler County American Legion Baseball championship game played out Sunday afternoon at Pullman Park.

Prospect used an opportunistic three-run seventh inning to defeat East Butler, 6-4, in the deciding game of the best-of-three series to determine which team represents the BCALin this weekend's Region 7 Tournament.

Because of vacations and injuries, Prospect manager Paul Malley said he would be unable to field a team at the Region 7 tournament and offered the berth to East Butler.

"This was basically my Slippery Rock High School team and I'm just happy the kids were able to end this season on a positive note,"Malley said. "We had a good run."

By team vote, East Butler decided to accept the region bid and will play the Central Pennsylvania champion at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Bellefonte.

"It was their choice,"East Butler manager Dess Schnur said. "I'm very pleased and proud that they decided to keep playing.

"We were the regular season champion. If our league still had two region berths, we'd be getting one anyway. Our kids are deserving of this."

Both teams stranded 13 runners Sunday and East Butler stranded at least one runner in each of the nine innings.

"We got one clutch hit all day,"Schnur said. "We needed a few more."

The clutch hit was a two-out, two-run double deep into the right field corner by Ryan Geibel. The fourth-inning hit handed East Butler a 3-2 lead.

That score stood until the seventh, when Prospect scratched its way to three runs.

No. 9 hitter Josh Weitzel singled to center to begin the frame. He was bunted over to second and moved to third on an infield out. With two outs, Mark White beat out a ground ball to third, scoring Weitzel with the tying run.

Ryan Ferguson then beat out a ground ball to shortstop and pitcher Brad Cottage fumbled a grounder back to the mound, loading the bases. Jesse Badgett delivered a two-run single to center which proved to be the winning hit.

"We beat out some ground balls there and we got hitting from the bottom part of our batting order,"Malley said. "That's what won us this game."

Both starting pitchers worked deep into the game. White threw 131 pitches — 79 for strikes — before departing in the seventh. White struck out eight, walked six and hit three batters. He walked John Marra and Nick Rossmiller to begin the seventh inning, then was replaced on the mound by Travis McDougall.

A sacrifice bunt attempt failed to make contact and Marra was tagged out in a rundown between second and third, quelling the East Butler scoring threat.

"Mark gave us what we wanted,"Malley said. "He pitched enough innings to allow us to get the ball to McDougall, who pitched a great game Friday."

McDougall tossed a complete-game five-hitter Friday, enabling Prospect to even the series with a 4-1 win. He allowed one run over the final three innings Sunday to get the save.

Cottage pitched into the eighth inning Sunday and threw 133 pitches, 79 for strikes. Marra finished the game for East Butler.

"I didn't want to pull Brad in that seventh inning and put John in there with the bases loaded," Schnur said. "They weren't hitting him (Cottage)real hard. They hit a bunch of choppers that went their way.

"Our teams are evenly matched, top to bottom. This was a good game and a good series."

Cottage doubled to open the ninth for East Butler and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Prospect scored a run on a wild pitch in the top of the inning.

Prospect won the game without the services of pitcher-catcher Brandon Ray and right fielder Adam Brydon — two of its best players.

"Everybody pulled together and we got it done,"Malley said. "We pitched well, hit well, fielded well ... We put one together today."

BCALChampionship Game 3 of best-of-3 series)Prospect 001 100 301—6 13 1East Butler 001 200 001—4 7 2Mark White (W, 8k, 6bb), Travis McDougall (7, SV, 1k, 0bb) and Ryan Ferguson; Brad Cottage (L, 5k, 4bb), John Marra (8, 2k, 2bb) and Ryan Geibel.

Prospect (19-5): Travis McDougall 3-1B, Mark White 2-1B 2-RBI, Ryan Ferguson 1B, Sean Lefebvre 1B, Jesse Badgett 2-1B2-RBI, Jared Agostino 2B, Joey Hemphill 1B, Josh Weitzel 2-1BRBI

East Butler (19-7): Mike Bresnahan 1B, Ryan Geibel 2B 2-RBI, Brad Cottage 2B 1B, John Marra 1B RBI, Nick Rossmiller 1B, Derek Hays 1B

Saturday: East Butler vs. Central Pa. champion in Region 7 Tournament @Bellefonte