Butler's Jordan Vicari connects for a two-run double to open up the scoring against Titusville in the District 25 Age 10-11 Little League Tournament. Butl;er won the game and the district tiitle, 7-4.

BUTLER TWP — Leave it to the left-hander.

Preston Richter, the third of three Butler pitchers, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning. He pitched scoreless baseball the rest of the way as Butler claimed the age 10-11 District 25 Little League championship Friday with a 7-4 triumph over Titusville.

The game was played at Meridian's Little League field as Butler won the best-of-three series in two straight. The team claimed a 1-0 no-hit victory earlier in the week.

“Preston showed a lot of composure out there,” Butler coach Lisa Povlick said. “He came in there and got the job done.”

Billy Makepeace, who shared that no-hitter with Jake Szebalskie, started Friday's game and struck out the side in the first inning. He walked the first batter he faced in the second and was pulled because of pitch count.

A pitcher can only throw 20 pitches to be available to pitch the next day via Little League rules.

“We're trying to win, but I have to protect my pitching, too,” Povlick said. “If we had lost today, we would have had to play tomorrow and I had to make sure I had pitchers ready.”

Jordan Vicari pitched the rest of the second inning, then the third, and was replaced by Richter with one out and the bases loaded in the fourth.

That out was recorded when Butler foiled an attempted double-steal by Titusville. With runners on first and third, Titusville's trailing runner broke for second. The catcher's throw to second was cut off by shortstop Szebalskie, who fired home to Makepeace to catch Titusville's David Manning trying to score.

Cole Averill drew a bases-loaded walk and a second run scored on an errant throw — pulling Titusville within 7-4 — before Richter struck out the two batters he faced to escape further damage.

“That play to the shortstop to get that out at the plate looked like the big leagues,” Povlick said, smiling. “We've got depth in pitching, too, and you need that to win these tournaments.”

Richter walked a pair in the fifth before striking out the final batter in that inning. He fanned the first batter he faced in the sixth. After hitting a batter, Richter fielded a grounder hit back to him and forced the runner at second.

He then caught a pop fly to end the game.

Makepeace, Vicari and Richter combined to strike out 12.

“We just didn't hit the ball like we normally do,” Titusville coach Jake Obert said. “We were late with a lot of our swings.

“When we did hit a ball hard, it seemed like it was right at one of their guys.”

Butler scored all seven of its runs in the first two innings. Vicari drilled a two-run double and Coltyn Povlick drew a bases-loaded walk to highlight a four-run first inning.

Makepeace doubled to deep center and scored on a pair of errors in the second. Kane Krauchak singled and scored on Richter's triple to center. Richter scored when the throw to third got away.

Makepeace and Krauchak both scored two runs in the contest.

Butler advances to Section tournament play next week. Its opponent and site of the game will be determined.

“The kids played well in this tournament,”Povlick said. “We work on pitching and defense a lot and it's nice to see that practice pay off.”