BUTLER TWP — As the Center Township players filed into the dugout after dismantling Meridian in Game 2 of the Butler County American Legion best-of-three championship series, manager George Rader asked a question.

"Who wants ice cream?" Rader said. "I'm buying."

With an emphatic cheer, the players agreed.

"Now that's old school," said pitcher and first baseman Zac Sessa. "Ice cream after a win. That's like Little League."

It has been a while since Center Township could celebrate something like this. With an 18-2 win over Meridian at Butler High on a rainy Tuesday night, CT won its first BCAL baseball title in nearly 30 years.

"We've had a long dry spell here in the township," said Rader, who played for Center Township in the early 1980s and won a league title.

CT took a difficult road through the regular season and then fell in the BCAL tournament last week.

But as the regular-season champ, Center Township squared off against tournament champ Meridian in a best-of-three series and won the first two games to punch its ticket to St. Marys and the regional tournament, which begins next week.

"We dedicated this championship tournament to three things," Rader said. "Our Creator, our parents who raised us and also to one of the assistant coaches, Mike Woodward, who has had an illness and hasn't been able to be with us."

Woodward, though, felt well enough to throw batting practice to the team Saturday.

It was the lift Center Township needed.

Sessa gave his team a lift in the top of the first inning with a three-run double to put CT up 3-0.

The lead swelled to 6-2 in the fifth inning before the wheels came off for Meridian in the top of the seventh inning.

With starting pitcher Grant Foley taxed, Meridian had to turn to its bullpen.

Three pitchers combined to plunk five batters, walk three and give up 12 runs in the inning.

Center Township sent 17 batters to the plate in the frame.

It didn't help Meridian's cause that two of its key contributors, Bobby Swartwout and Jace Lyons, weren't with the team.

"We struggled without (them)," said Meridian manager Butch Master. "They are two big parts of our lineup."

Joe Malardie picked up the win for Center Township with an efficient outing. Battling rain for most of the game and muddy mound conditions, Malardie scattered six hits and struck out four.

"Joe played for me in Little League," Rader said. "It was great to have him. These kids are close to me. It's like they are all my sons."

The next challenge for Rader and Center Township might be an unfortunate one.

Center Township could be out of the Region 8 Tournament because it might not have enough players.

"We're trying to mitigate that right now," Rader said. "I have three kids in football camp that day. We're going to have to pull some strings and get enough kids up there to play because I have to show up with 12 in uniform."

Center Township had only 12 players Tuesday.

Center Twp 300 120 (12) — 18 17 2Meridian 000 110 0 — 2 6 2W: Joe Malardie 7IP (4K, 4BB).

L: Grant Foley 6IP (2K, 1BB).

Center Township: Zach Rader 2-1B 3-RBI, Jake Thompson 1B 2-RBI, Cole Baxter 2-1B, Tay Ford 1B RBI, Ty Ford 2B 2-RBI, Zac Sessa 2B 2-1B 5-RBI, Todd Wiest 3-1B 3-RBI, Malardie 2-1B 2-RBI

Meridian: Nick Legacy 2-1B, Tom Chybrznski 2-RBI, Scotty Peskowitz 2-1B