The magnitude of the game was not lost on either team.

Players plucked liners from the warm summer air. They sprinted down the baseline trying to beat out ground balls. And in the clutch, they came up with their biggest hits of the season.

In the end, Meridian got just one more key hit and one more key out in a 3-2 win over top-seed Center Township in the Butler County American Legion Baseball winner's bracket final at Pullman Park Wednesday night.

At stake was having to win one more game to wrap up the tournament title, or three more.

"Wow, I have to catch my breath," said Meridian manager Butch Master. "The boys stepped up big tonight."

Tom Chybrnski was one of several heroes for Meridian, which now has a day off today and perhaps another on Friday depending on how the rest of the tourney schedule unfolds.

Trailing 2-1 with runners on second and third and no one out in the top of the seventh inning, Chybrnski slashed a single up the middle against a drawn-in infield that scored Matt Baranchak and Nick Legacy with what turned out to be the winning runs.

Meridian pitcher Grant Foley did the rest.

Foley pitched seven strong innings, striking out six. He reached back for a little extra in the bottom of the seventh inning, striking out back-to-back batters before getting a groundout to short to finish off a perfect frame.

As the final out was recorded, Meridian players flung their hats and gloves skyward and celebrated near the mound, engulfing Foley.

"This game was huge for us," Foley said. "This is a big rivalry for Meridian, since we were young."

Foley's performance was even more impressive because he rarely pitches.

A shortstop by trade, Foley was one of the top players on his high school team at Shady Side Academy, where he never pitched.

He's only thrown in three games this season, including his masterful effort against Center Township.

"I'm used to playing in tight situations," Foley said. "But at shortstop, not pitcher. I'm used to being under pressure, so I just focused and threw strikes."

Strikes were plentiful from both pitchers.

Center Township left-hander Zac Sessa cruised through most of the game. He entered the final inning working on a three-hitter before running into trouble.

Baranchak led off with his third hit of the game — the only hitter to truly vex Sessa.

The only other damage done against Sessa before the seventh inning came on an RBI triple off the bat of Matt Dowdy in the second inning that gave Meridian a 1-0 lead.

Center Township got a run in the third when Ethan Rock doubled and scored on a single by Zach Rader. It scored again in the fourth on a single by Sessa that plated Tay Ford, who hustled from first to third on a groundout by Ty Ford a batter earlier.

"It was a tough game," said Center Township manager George Rader. "Meridian came up with some clutch hits. My hat's off to them. Both pitchers pitched well enough to win."

Center Township, the regular season champion, now face an interesting dilemma.

Because it is the season champion, it gets an automatic bid into the three-game championship series should it not win the tournament.

Facing a prospect of needing to win three games in three days to win the tournament, or two games of a best-of-three series early next week, Rader is pondering his strategy.

The playoff structure was altered after last year's tournament championship game dissolved into a 19-12 survival of the fittest pitcher.

Rader fears a redux of that scenario this season.

"It's certainly staring us in the face again," said Rader, who held a meeting with his pitchers after the loss. "We have to be smart with our pitchers. We have a plan."

Center Township will play Saxonburg, a 17-7 winner of Zelienople in five innings, today at a site and time to be determined.

Garrett Shaw had a triple and double to pace the 14-hit attack for Saxonburg.

Alex Crawford homered for Zelienople.

Meridian will play the winner of that game either late Friday night or early Saturday. Should it lose, a deciding game will be played Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

Meridian 010 000 2 — 3 7 0Center Township 001 100 0 — 2 6 1W: Grant Foley 7 IP (6 K, 1 BB).

L: Zac Sessa 7 IP (5 K, 0 BB).

Meridian: Matt Baranchak 3-1B, Tom Chybrnski 1B 2-RBI, Matt Dowdy 3B RBI

Center Township: Zach Rader 1B RBI, Ty Ford 2B, Sessa 1B RBI, David Hohn 2B

Today: Saxonburg vs. Center Township, site and time TBD