Greg Hays' arm is sore.

Sore arm or not, Hays has been a bulldog in the playoffs for the East Butler American Legion baseball team.

Hays, who pitched for the third time in eight days, fired a complete-game, four-hitter, in leading East Butler to a 15-1 rout of Meridian in Game 1 of the Butler County American Legion best-of-three championship series at Pullman Park Monday night.

The winner of the series will represent Butler County in the Region 8 Tournament in Erie, which begins Saturday.

Hays got his team one step closer with a pitching gem.

"He's been perfect for the playoffs," said East Butler manager Carl Hays, who is Greg's father. "I can't say enough about what he has done. He's staying focused and he always gives 120 percent. He has a sore arm, but he's battling through that."

Greg Hays wasted little time — or pitches — in disposing of Meridian.

He struck out six, walked one and got several groundball outs early in the count, saving his weary arm and the East Butler pitching staff as well.

"This helps us in the pitching category," Carl Hays said. "Nick (Rossmiller) just pitched the other night and he needed some rest tonight. We also have Evan (Oswald) to go to. We're in good shape."

Greg Hays the hitter gave Greg Hays the pitcher plenty of runs support. The No. 3 hitter in the East Butler lineup went 3-for-4 with four RBI.

Up and down the lineup, East Butler wreaked havoc on Meridian.

Rossmiller was 3-for-3 with two RBI and even No. 9 hitter Josh Reddick got in on the act by knocking in three runs.

Reddick also made a spectacular catch in center field in the fourth inning that likely saved a run.

"It was a very strong performance from all the boys," Carl Hays said. "It all comes down to the pitching."

All Meridian manager Butch Master could do was shrug his shoulders and get ready for Game 2, which will be played 8 p.m. today at Speed-O Field in East Butler.

"They were here and ready to go from the start," Master said. "There's not a whole lot to say when the score is 10-1, 11-1, 15-1."

East Butler took a 2-0 lead on two run-scoring sacrifice flies in the top of the first inning.

Tanner Master led off the bottom of the first with a triple and later scored on a two-out RBI single by Nick Bellisario.

That was the end of the Meridian highlight reel.

East Butler scored another run in the third, five more in the fourth and three in the fifth to put the game out of reach.

"Our bats are hot right now," Carl Hays said. "You never know from day to day, but we have been hot for a week, week and a half now.

"I'd like to take a half dozen of these runs with me for (today)," Hays quipped.

Master balked at that idea.

He'd settle for about a half dozen of his own runs. But first he has to rally his team around the notion that nothing has been decided yet.

"I told the kids, 'We came here today needing two wins and we leave here today needing two wins. Nothing has changed," Master said. "We just have to come back and play better (today)."

East Butler 201 532 2 — 15 14 1Meridian 100 000 0 — 1 4 4W: Greg Hays (7 IP) 6 K, 1 BB.

L: Zach Vasey (3X\c IP) 1 K, 0 BB.

East Butler: Evan Oswald 2B, 1B; Hays 2B, 2-1B, 4-RBI; Nick Rossmiller 3B, 2-1B, 2-RBI; Adam Bresnahan 2B, RBI; Nate Neff 1B, 2B; Josh Reddick 1B, 3-RBI; Ryan Fennell 1B, 2-RBI

Meridian: Tanner Master 3B; Nick Bellisario 2-1B, RBI

Today: Meridian vs. East Butler at Speed-O Field, Game 2, 8 p.m.