JEFFERSON TWP — The hits just kept coming for Butler Township/Meridian.

The top seed in the Butler County Girls Slowpitch Softball League 18-under division belted 16 hits in defeating Seneca Valley North 16-10 in Wednesday's championship game at Laura Doerr Park. The decisive blow was a six-run bottom of the fifth that snapped a 10-10 tie.

It is the second straight title for Butler Township/Meridian, which ends the season with a perfect 16-0 record. It was also the third straight year that these two teams have met in the championship game, with SV North (then playing as Evans City) winning in 2012.

“Most of us have been playing together for a long time,” said BTM's Nikki Slomers, who raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run in the fifth frame. “It seems like we've been working together forever and our goal was to go undefeated this year.”

Slomers' home run scored Nicole Huff and Haley Smith in front of her with what proved to be the game's final three runs. Earlier in the inning, Huff drew a bases-loaded walk that plated Alyssa O'Day and Smith's single scored Lexi Monks and Kaylee Noah to make the score 13-10.

“Our offense has been this good all season,” said BTM coach Greg Michaels. “Our bats are never quiet.”

In the top of the fourth inning, however, it was SV's turn at slugging the ball. The team entered the frame down 9-2, but scored eight runs on six hits to take a brief 10-9 edge.

Against Noah, the eventual winning pitcher, SV managed four consecutive run-scoring singles off the bats of Jessica Osselborn, Samantha Franks, Emily Russ and Kristen Welsh. Hailee McCann then capped the inning with a two-run triple.

“We lost our starting pitcher (Michenna Gates in the second inning) due to the heat and an injured elbow,” said SV coach Ron Osselborn. “I think the girls realized that they needed to step up.”

Butler Township/Meridian scored the equalizer in its half of the fourth when Emma Culbertson's double brought home Smith. The run came off of SV reliever Calista Jessell, who shouldered the loss.

The victors also erupted for five runs in the bottom of the second, highlighted by Huff's two-run home run.

“They have a lot of power,” Osselborn said.

SV finishes the season with a record of 13-5.

“We are a pretty young team and will be losing just one player,” added Osselborn. “We hope to be back here.

“The sportsmanship in this league is amazing. A lot of these girls have been going up against each other since they were 13 and there's a mutual respect.”

The game marked the fourth time this season that SV came up short against the champs.

“They battled us close every game,” said Michaels. “They have a lot of great athletes and they're just an all-around great team.”

Unlike SV North, Butler Township/Meridian will be losing the majority of its players.

“It's sad,” related Slomers. “I've grown up with these girls.”

SV North 200 800 0 — 10 14 4

BT/Meridian 351 160 x — 16 16 4

W: Kaylee Noah 7 IP (2K, 1BB). L: Calista Jessell 2 2/3 IP (2K, 7BB).

Seneca Valley North (13-5): Calista Jessell R, Jessica Osselborn 2-1B 2R RBI, Samantha Franks 2-1B 2R RBI, Michenna Gates 1B RBI, Kristen Welsh 2-1B R RBI, Hailee McCann 1B 3B R 3RBI, Maddie Williams 1B R, Michelle Franks 3-1B R RBI, Emily Russ 1B R RBI

Butler Twp./Meridian (16-0): Kaylee Noah 3-1B 3R, Nicole Huff 2-1B HR 3R 4RBI, Haley Smith 2-1B 4R 2RBI, M.C. Cuadros R, Nikki Slomers HR 2R 3RBI, Emma Culbertson 1B 2-2B 4RBI, Kristen Tedrow 2-1B RBI, Alyssa O'Day 1B 2R, Lexi Monks 1B R