For Meridian, it was Jonathan Albright or bust.

The 19-year-old right-hander came through with a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday night at Pullman Park, pitching his team to a 6-5 Butler County American Legion baseball victory over Center Township.

The win clinched the regular season championship for Meridian, giving the program its first-ever regional tournament berth. Meridian will compete in the Saegertown regional later this month.

It will be joined by whatever team wins the BCAL double-elimination tournament, which begins Thursday.

“This was our third game this week and with Grant Foley on vacation, I was thin on pitching,” Meridian manager Butch Master said. “This was Jonathan's game all the way.

“Sometimes it looks like he's out of gas. Then he finds that second wind ... something ... and gets it together again.”

Meridian took a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning with Albright working on a no-hitter. Ben Hortert led off the frame with a towering infield pop fly.

The ball landed a few feet from the mound, with Albright, third baseman Jacob Koerner and shortstop Bobby Swartwout surrounding it.

“It was the third baseman's ball, but he was playing back on the pitch. It was just one of those things,” Master said.

“That was Ben's eighth infield hit this year — and he's not very fast,” CT manager Brian Hortert said.

No. 9 hitter Tyler Vidmar followed with a single to center and Cole Baxter tripled to deep right, plating two runs. Baxter scored on Sean Culbertson's sacrifice fly.

Culbertson received a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and the score was suddenly 6-5 with No. 3 hitter Aaron Voelker coming to the plate with the sacks full.

“I never got tired,” Albright, who allowed eight baserunners in the fifth and sixth, insisted. “I just had to pitch my game.”

He got Voelker to ground out sharply to second, then retired the side in order in the seventh to get the win.

Albright threw 103 pitches — 61 strikes — and struck out seven.

“If Aaron's ground ball is a couple of feet to either side, we score a couple more and probably win,” Hortert said. “We fought back and I was glad to see that.

“Credit their pitcher. He changed speeds well and kept his strikes down in the zone. We waited too long to get to him.”

Meridian scored its first three runs with two outs. Alex Scialabba's two-out double plated Ben Berresford in the first. Matt Dowdy scored on a two-out wild pitch in the second and Jace Lyon delivered a run-scoring single later in the frame.

Three hits and two walks contributed to a three-run Meridian fifth inning.

The top two teams in the standings earn a bye in the BCAL tourney. Center Township went on to defeat Cranberry, 15-2, Monday at CT's Legion field and will clinch second place with a win over Butler City tonight at Pullman Park.

Center Township owns the tiebreaker over Saxonburg, which shares the second spot in the standings.

Culbertson tossed a four-hitter Monday for CT and contributed a home run. Baxter hit a pair of homers, Pat Lokhaiser had three doubles, David Hohn a double and two singles.

Kevin Plut homered for Cranberry.

Meridian has road games remaining at Zelienople today and Cranberry Wednesday.

Meridian 120 030 0 — 6 9 2Center Twp. 001 031 0 — 5 5 2W: Jonathan Albright 7 IP (7K, 4BB).

L: Joe Malardi 5 IP (4K, 2BB).

Meridian (15-3): Jace Lyon 1B RBI, Bobby Swartwout 2B, Ben Berresford 2-R, Alex Scialabba 2B 1B 2-RBI, Nick Legacy 3B, Matt Dowdy 2B 2-R, Jacob Koerner 2B, Joey Friel 2-1B

Center Township (12-6): Cole Baxter 3B 2-RBI, Sean Culbertson 2-RBI, Aaron Voelker 1B, Ben Hortert 2-1B 2-R, Tyler Vidmar 1B 2-R

Tuesday: Meridian at Zelienople, Butler City at Center Township