EAST BUTLER — East Butler saw its season get off to a late start.

It appears they're now making up for lost time.

Because of inclement weather and the success of the Butler varsity baseball team, it took awhile for East Butler to get the pieces all in place.

Case in point, the team's 18-8, 22-2 doubleheader sweep of West Sunbury Thursday at Speed-O Field.

"We got a late start this year," said East Butler manager Carl Hays. "Over the Memorial Day weekend, we played three games. It was like playing in a tournament."

Zach Harbison picked up wins in both games, going the first three-plus innings in Game 1 with eight strikeouts and one walk. In Game 2, he pitched all five innings, with 11 strikeouts and no walks.

"I was going to start Harbison and Cody Herald (who couldn't make the game), so he had a quick exit in the first game," said Hays. "We got one inning out of Dalton Steighner and one from Ryan Fennell.

"Zach's not a strong first-inning pitcher. You see his best in the second, third, fourth innings. After that first inning, he bears down," Hays added.

West Sunbury gave East Butler all it could handle in Game 1, overcoming an early 5-1 deficit to tie the game with four runs in the third inning — three of which came off two wild pitches and an error.

West Sunbury also put up three runs in the top of the fourth inning to pull to within 9-8, but East Butler piled on nine runs in the home half — including a two-run single by Ryan Fennell and two-run double by Matt Steighner in consecutive at-bats — to put the game out of reach.

"They hit the ball better than I expected," said Hays of West Sunbury. "They fought their way back a few times."

Dalton Steighner, Josh Reddick and Jeremy Rivera drove in three runs apiece while Ryan Fennell, Jamie Rivera and Matt Steighner each added two RBI.

West Sunbury's Mason Spencer had two hits and two RBI and Ryan Pflugh two hits and an RBI to lead the way.

"We were on the ball for the first game," said West Sunbury coach Jim Bell, who was one of two coaches filling in for manager Ray Pflugh, who was not at the game. "It was a good game up until the fifth inning. In the second game, there was no excuse, but we were happy for the boys in the first game."

In the nightcap, East Butler, now the visiting team as a makeup game, posted eight first-inning runs to take control early.

With one out and runners at first and second and holding a 1-0 lead, East Butler rapped out six consecutive hits against starter Josh McCormick — a single by Jeremy Rivera, a two-run single by Tyler Hays, an RBI single by Nate Carben, a two-run double by Jamie Rivera, an RBI double by Dalton Steighner and an RBI single by Reddick — to open up the insurmountable lead.

West Sunbury answered with two runs in the bottom of the first — consecutive two-out RBI singles by Sam Alcorn and Josh Stockert — but could pull no closer.

East Butler would add two runs in both the second and third innings, one in the fourth and nine in the fifth inning.

Like Game 1, Dalton Steighner and Reddick had three RBI each as did Fennell, which included a two-run homer and Jamie Rivera while Tyler Hays added two RBI.

"I'm very pleased," Hays said. "We have a nice team and they're getting better. When we're in a full boat, we're a better team than I expected."

Game 1West Sunbury 104 30x x — 8 8 5East Butler 234 9xx x — 18 17 4W: Zach Harbison 3+ IP (8K, 1BB).

L: Austin Meals 3Z\c IP (1K, 2BB).

West Sunbury: Mason Spencer 2-1B, 2 RBI; Justin McNeish 1B, RBI; Ryan Pflugh 2-1B, RBI; Heath Lominski 1B; Josh McCormick 1B; Austin Meals 1B

East Butler: Dalton Steighner 1B, 3B, 3 RBI; Josh Reddick 2-1B, 3 RBI; Ryan Fennell 2-1B, 2 RBI; Jamie Rivera 1B, 2 RBI; Ben Renwick 1B; Zach Harbison 1B, 2B, RBI; Jeremy Rivera 2-1B, 2B, 3 RBI; Adam Steiner 2B; Tyler Hays 2-1B, RBI; Matt Steighner 2B, 2 RBI

Game 2East Butler 822 19x x — 22 15 2West Sunbury 200 00x x — 2 3 4W: Zach Harbison 5 IP (11K, 0BB).

L: Josh McCormick 2 IP (2K, 3BB).

East Butler (10-3): Dalton Steighner 1B, 2B, 3 RBI; Josh Reddick 2-1B, 2B3 RBI; Ryan Fennell 1B, HR, 3 RBI; Zach Harbison 2-1B; Jeremy Rivera 1B, 2B; Tyler Hays 1B, 2 RBI; Nate Carben 1VB, RBI; Jamie Rivera 2B, 3 RBI; Jarrett Vose RBI; Matt Steighner 1B, RBI

West Sunbury (0-9): Jarrod Hull 1B; Sam Alcorn 1B, RBI; Josh Stockert 1B, RBI

Saturday: Zelienople at West Sunbury

Tuesday: East Butler at Butler City