HAZLETON — All season, Valley East’s “Butcher” was able to methodically slice through the meat of the opponent’s offense.

Sunday was no exception.

Brantlee Butcher pitched a one-hitter, struck out seven in just 3 1/3 innings, walked one, and helped himself by walloping two powerful hits — one of them a two-run double.

The result was an 11-1 victory over Jim Thorpe in the third of a best-of-three series for the District 18 Little League 9-10 championship in a game played at the Hazleton Little League Complex.

The young Olympians jumped into a 1-0 first-inning lead but beginning with the second inning, the team from Drums pulled away and culminated the victory with a six-run, fourth-inning outburst.

Butcher had a slight quiver at the start, walking Thorpe leadoff batter Alex Eckert.

After Eckert advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, Owen Hosier followed and took a 2-0 pitch and blasted it to right field, getting to first while Eckert scored.

This apparently fired up Butcher, who struck out the last two batters with seven pitches.

Hosier, who started on the mound for JT, struck out his first two batters in the bottom of the first and managed to hold East scoreless.

But that first inning was the last time anybody from the Olympians reached base.

Except for Butcher, who was third in the batting order for Valley East, the bottom half of its batting order did the most damage. Especially potent was 11th batter Bo Shafer, who got two doubles in his two at-bats, including one in the fourth that was good for two RBIs and spurred the six-run rally.

“They played like a team,” said Jim Thorpe manager Kevin Thompson of his squad. “They went out and they grinded to get to this spot and force a Game 3 in this series.

“They played hard, but you’re playing good teams. I’m proud of them.”

Thompson credited the effort of Valley East hurler Butcher.

“He throws up the strike zone,” said Thompson. “We saw him in Game 1. He did the same thing in Game 1 that he did in Game 3. He threw strikes. That slider, curve ball he’s been throwing has been working.”

Jarred Tesla, the Valley West manager, was also complimentary of his pitcher.

“He’s a fantastic player,” said Tesla. “We kind of go as he goes as a team. When he’s mentally strong and is winning the battle, they feed off of that and you see what happens.

“But we won as a team. Everybody contributes.”

Saturday’s game

Jim Thorpe kept its hopes alive on Saturday when it staved off a late rally by Valley East, scoring a 7-6 victory.

That win was crucial in forcing Sunday’s elimination game.

Thorpe figured out a way to score early in jumping out to a 7-0 lead.

The winners used a walk to Alex Eckert, who scored two of his team’s runs. There was one out when Owen Hosier reached on an error that allowed Eckert to scurry home. The Olympians kept chugging and scored another unearned run thanks to a single by Liam Thompson, along with a pair of Valley East errors.

Then in the fourth, Thorpe went on a wild ride scoring five more runs. Eckert walked, Julius Calcano singled him home, Hosier belted a double for two RBIs.

The hits kept coming for JT, as Nick Dedinsky made it 5-0. Thompson singled and a pair of Valley East muffs allowed two more runs to score for a 7-0 lead.

Thorpe wasn’t out of the woods, as Valley East finally found a bit of offense, mainly due to Thorpe’s pitchers’ inability to throw strikes.

Valley East took advantage of six walks, and a trio of Thorpe errors to close the gap to 7-6. But Thorpe stayed the course. Relief pitcher Hosier walked the first batter in the sixth, amd then proceeded to retire the next two batters — the last with a strikeout.

Ironically, Thorpe pitching allowed just one hit, that coming in the second when Troy Stone singled off starting pitcher Eckert, who walked the opening batter in the inning, got an infield pop out for the first out and fanned the next two batters to quell any further troubles.

NEXT UP ... The win propels Valley East to the Sectional playoffs. Jim Burns, representing District 18, said Valley East will play Stroudsburg at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Hazleton complex.

A REPEAT PERFORMANCE ... What an arm Brantlee Butcher has! In the first game of the three-game series, Butcher blanked Thorpe 7-0 with seven strikeouts and no walks, giving up just one hit. In Sunday’s game, he threw just 53 pitches in 3 1/3 innings.

Saturday’s game

Jim Thorpe 110 500 - 6 7 3

Valley East 000 060 - 7 1 3

Eckert, Hollenbach (3), Calcano (4), Hosier (5), Dedinsky (6) and Calcano, A. Eckert (3); Ferdinand, Fendrick (4) and Stone. W - Calcano. L - Ferdinand.

Sunday’s game

Jim Thorpe 100 0 - 1 1 0

Valley East 031 6 - 11 12 1

Hosier, Dedinsky (4) and Eckert; Butcher and Fredrick. W - Butcher. L - Hosier.

Sam Matta also contributed to this story.