The Pittsburgh Pirates are winning on the field and are helping two Butler County baseball organizations win off it.

Pirates Charities made contributions to the Butler Township Baseball Association and the Center Township Athletic Association, enabling those organizations to install new fences and bleachers.

Butler Township received $5,000 and will use the money for a new fence, though the association isn't sure which field will receive the facelift.

"We're still discussing that part of it," said Curt Gross, treasurer of the Butler Township association. "We have three diamonds at Adelman Fields and five at the Meridian complex."

The Butler Township and Meridian baseball organizations merged last year.

Gross said the Pony League field at Adelman Fields needs to be totally redone, which would cost about $30,000, or it might be turned into a second Little League field at a lesser cost.

A Pony League field is currently being used by two teams at the Meridian complex.

Pirates Charities recently provided grants between $1,000 and $5,000 to 14 different baseball or softball organizations representing 10 counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The organizations submitted proposals spelling out specifically how the money would be used to improve the ballfields. Each association had to match the grant it received.

The program is called the Fields for Kids matching grant program. Pirates Charities committed $100,000 to launch the program, including a $25,000 donation from catcher Ryan Doumit.

Gross said the Butler Township association raised between $15,000 and $20,000, but needed five years to do it.

"You can only sell so many pepperoni rolls and raffle tickets," he said.

John Link is president of the Center Township Athletic Association, which submitted its proposal after reading a small article about the opportunity.

"(The Pirates) called us and told us we got it," Link said. "We signed the forms and had a check in our hands within a week.

"It was the quickest process to receive a grant I've ever seen."

Center Township received just under $2,300, which it matched. The CTAA is in the process of putting in the cement slab for new aluminum bleachers and protective fencing near its Little League fields.

"We expect to have the new bleachers up and in place by the end of May," Link said. "We were lucky to get that money because it quickened the process. It's great that a major league team has a program to help local leagues like this.

"(The Pirates) were very easy to work with, very easy to talk to."

Gross agreed.

"It's a pretty far-reaching program and they're helping a ton of kids," Gross said.

Grant money is being used throughout the Pittsburgh area for upgrading field components such as sod, infield playing surfaces, fencing, dugouts, irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards and concession stands.

There are two additional Fields for Kids grant periods this year. Applications are due May 11 for grants awarded in July and on Aug. 10 for grants awarded in September. Visit www.pirates.com/piratescharities.

"There are five baseball associations in Butler alone," Link said. "We're spreading the word on this. A lot more organizations in our area can benefit from that program."