BUTLER TWP - Pitching and defense.

Both carried Saxonburg to its first Eagle County Baseball League championship since 1998 - right down to the final inning and final pitch Saturday at Highfield Park.

With runners on first and third and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Curt Schnur got Don Dell to pop to second on a 3-2 pitch to preserve Saxonburg's 3-2 victory and a sweep of Freeport in the best-of-five title series.

All three games were decided by one run. Freeport was limited to five runs and 13 hits in the series. Saxonburg had just eight runs and 18 hits itself.

"This series was scrappy baseball - great baseball," Saxonburg coach Dan Cunningham said. "They fought us tooth and nail. Baseball is supposed to be like this."

Schnur pitched a complete-game victory in Game 1 of the series and pitched a scoreless seventh in a 1-0 Game 2 win. He pitched the seventh in relief of starter Jason Dolmayer Saturday.

"Curt's a great pitcher and unless we had a big lead entering the last inning, he was coming in," Dolmayer said. "That's the way we do it."

Dolmayer had been vacationing in North Carolina and did not get back in town until 3:30 p.m. Saturday - 90 minutes before game time.

"I was gonna start if he didn't make it back," Schnur said. "My arm feels fine. I was ready to go."

Dolmayer wasn't. He took the mound with a 1-0 lead, but walked the bases loaded in a 30-pitch bottom of the first inning. Freeport tied the game when Josh Harbison stole home.

"I left (North Carolina) at 5 a.m. and was a little tired," Dolmayer said. "That was part of it. But I wasn't focused or as mentally ready for this game as I should have been."

Dolmayer did not walk a batter after the first inning and allowed just two singles in his six-inning stint. He threw 98 pitches.

But he left the game trailing, 2-1.

Freeport took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Greg Samson reached on an infield error, Keith Kubit singled him to third, then stole second.

With Saxonburg's infield drawn in, Freeport player-coach Wayne Greiser fouled off three two-strike pitches before chopping the ball to third. Samson scored the tying run and Kubit moved to third on the out.

"We had to scratch for everything we got in this series," Greiser said. "We were missing some key hitters in our lineup each game. We knew this was how we were gonna have to play."

Freeport played Saturday without No. 3 hitter Bill Daugherty, No. 6 hitter Jon Schott and left fielder Ken Bissell. Two were at weddings, the other was in Las Vegas.

Chris Shearer lofted a fly ball to left, apparently deep enough to score Kubit with an insurance run. But left fielder Brendan Malone fired the ball to catcher Todd Kennedy on a fly, Kennedy tagging Kubit out just before the runner touched the plate.

"That throw was right on the money," Cunningham said. "How about that play? A huge play."

Saxonburg's No.'s 8 and 9 hitters were due up to begin the seventh, but consecutive pinch-hitters reached base instead. Matt DeSantis led off the frame by reaching on an infield throwing error and Steve Graff delivered an infield single.

"Those two guys could start for just about any other team in the league," Cunningham said. "They're loyal to our program and they want to be part of our program. They played a big part today."

Malone bunted the runners up and Chase Rowe's ground out to second tied the game. Mike Sikorski delivered a two-out double to right - the only extra-base hit of the game - to give Saxonburg the lead.

Still, Freeport wouldn't go away. With two outs, the bases empty and facing a two-strike count against Schnur in the bottom of the inning, No. 9 hitter Greg Fryman singled to center. Harbison followed with a bloop single to center that sent Fryman to third.

Dell worked Schnur to a full count before popping out to end the game.

"He's a great hitter and I had to make him hit my pitch," Schnur said. "If it missed the plate, it missed the plate. Sometimes you can't be afraid to walk somebody."

Fryman took the loss on the mound for Freeport, throwing 118 pitches and allowing seven hits.

"He pitched his guts out," Greiser said. "We got some great pitching in this series."

For the second straight year, Cunningham may return to the dugout for Saxonburg after talking about retirement.

"Now everyone's coming up to me, telling me I have to come back and defend this," Cunningham said. "I'm going to get together with our other coaches in a month or so and we'll discuss it."

Freeport reached the Eagle County playoffs this year for only the second time in the program's eight-year existence.

Greiser may be leaving the area to take a teaching position in North Carolina.

"I don't know what's happening with that yet," Greiser said. "I don't know how many of our guys will be around here next year, but I'd love to bring them all back.

"I'm proud of my team. We gave everything we had. This was an extremely close series."

Saxonburg 100 000 2 - 3 7 1

Freeport 100 001 0 - 2 4 2

WP:

Jason Dolmayer (6 IP) 4 strikeouts, 3 walks.

LP:

Greg Fryman (7 IP) 4 strikeouts, 3 walks

Saxonburg (27-4-2):

Brendan Malone 1B, Chase Rowe RBI, Mike Sikorski 2B 1B 2-RBI, Dan O'Brien 1B, Steve Hall 2-1B, Steve Graff 1B

Freeport (25-9):

Josh Harbison 1B, Greg Samson 1B, Wayne Greiser RBI, Keith Kubit 1B, Greg Fryman 1B