EAST BUTLER — East Butler has shown it can score, but defense proved to be its saving grace on Tuesday.

East Butler, the Butler County American Legion Baseball League regular-season champion, turned three double plays against Butler City in the winner's bracket final of the double-elimination tournament.

The squad also used a sacrifice fly RBI from Dallas O'Donnell and an RBI double by Mike Bresnahan to break a 3-all tie in the fifth inning and held on for a 5-4 victory at Speed-O Field.

East Butler will play the winner of today's Mars-Butler City game for the championship Thursday at Pullman Park.

East Butler enjoyed a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but the first double play turned by East Butler proved to be crucial.

East Butler pitcher Nick Rossmiller allowed singles by Jeff Slater and Jose Cumba, sandwiched around a walk to Clark Liebler, to load the bases.

Butler City's Jim McKissick hit a hard grounder to East Butler third baseman Greg Hays, who threw home to catcher Ryan Geibel, who then threw to first to double up McKissick.

With runners at second and third, Rossmiller got Brandon Lamotte to ground out to end the inning.

"I think that changed the game," said East Butler coach Carl Hays. "They loaded the bases and we turned the double play. It's early, but you have to go back to that. If they get a base hit there, it's tied and it's a different game."

East Butler had taken the 2-0 lead in the first as the first five batters reached base off Butler City starter Wes Henderson.

Evan Oswald led off the inning with a single, but slid past second base on a pickoff attempt and was tagged out.

Ryan Armahizer, Bill Coleman and Rossmiller promptly smacked consecutive doubles, the latter two driving in runs.

After Geibel was hit by a pitch, a fielder's choice and a ground out allowed Butler City to avoid any more damage.

East Butler took a 3-0 advantage when an error plated another run.

Henderson had walked the bases loaded before the error, but escaped the jam when McKissick caught a fly ball in right field off the bat of Rossmiller and threw out Oswald at the plate to close out the inning.

"We scored early, (Henderson) got himself throwing a few better pitches," said Hays. "And, we just didn't adjust too well."

In the fourth inning, Butler City evened the game thanks to a two-run homer by Slater just inside the left-field foul pole, then McKissick added a one-out RBI double.

"These boys, in the last four games prior to (Tuesday's game), scored 56 runs," said Butler City coach Jerry Piroch.

After East Butler regained the lead in the fifth inning, Butler City made one final push in the sixth.

Slater opened the inning with a double and scored when Liebler's sacrifice bunt allowed him to reach first, but a throwing error by Hays to first resulted in the run.

Cumba, however, grounded into a double play to clear the bases. Rossmiller fanned McKissick, then Ryan Geibel pitched a perfect seventh inning for the save.

"We looked at the book after the game and saw three of the five runs were unearned," said Piroch. "You can't blame it all on the pitcher. You have the defense behind you. "

Despite seeing his 3-0 lead disappear, Hays was confident his team could still regroup.

"That's something they've done all year," said Hays. "(Butler City's) a great ballclub over there. This team believes in itself. Those two runs we got back were enormous. They know they can do it. That's why they were able to."

Butler City 000 301 0—4 8 2East Butler 210 020 x—5 8 2W: Nick Rossmiller 6 IP (7 K, 2 BB).

L: Wes Henderson 5 IP (0 K, 4 BB).

Butler City (11-8): Jamie Masciarelli 1B; Jeff Slater 1B, 2B, HR, 2 RBI; Clark Liebler 2-1B; Jose Cumba 1B; Jim McKissick 2B, RBI

East Butler (16-2): Evan Oswald 1B; Ryan Armahizer 2B; Bill Coleman 1B, 2B, RBI; Nick Rossmiller 2B, RBI; Derek Hays 1B; Dallas O'Donnell 1B, SFRBI; Mike Bresnahan 2B, RBI

Today: Mars vs. Butler City at Pullman Park, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Mars-Butler City winner vs. East Butler winner at Pullman Park, 6 p.m.

• Center Township's Cinderella ride ended abruptly.Ryan Schroth pitched a two-hitter, striking out six in seven innings as Mars routed Center Township 14-0 to move on to the loser's bracket final against Butler City.Schroth also had a single, a double and a triple for Mars.<B>Center Twp 000 000 0—0 2 2Mars 034 052 x—14 11 0W:</B> Ryan Schroth 7 IP (6 K, 0 BB). <B>L:</B> Baxter 2 IP (5 K, 0 BB).<B>Center Township:</B> Malloy 2-1B<B>Mars:</B> Schroth 1B, 2B, 3B; Blaise Taggart 2-1B; Ryan Ganter 2-1B; Josh Bender 2B<B>Today:</B> Mars vs. Butler City at Pullman Park, 6 p.m.