BUTLER TWP - For instant offense, just add water.

That was the recipe Butler Township used to save its Butler County American Legion baseball season Wednesday at Highfield Park.

With Butler Township trailing Center Township 2-0 in the fourth inning, a rainstorm increased in intensity at just about the same time Butler Township's offense did.

Butler Township plated three runs in the fourth inning and four more in the fifth inning - both during the storm - and went on to an 11-4 victory.

The win moves Butler Township (14-7-1) into the BCAL championship final against

East Butler

at 6 p.m. Friday at Pullman Park.

Butler Township rapped out 12 hits in the game, 10 in its final three innings.

It was Center Township (14-8) that had control of the contest early, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Joe Palermo singled and scored on an RBI double by Adam Miller.

Miller was thrown out trying for a triple. He had seen Center Township manager Kevin Shaffer waving Palermo home and thought he wanted him to head to third base.

"That's a little inexperience on (Miller's) part," said Shaffer. "The ball was in front of him, but I should have known about the inexperience, so we both were at fault."

Center Township doubled its lead in the third inning after Josh Warburton reached on an error with two outs.

Warburton stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Palermo struck out, but Butler Township catcher Gary Gombos couldn't corral the pitch and the run scored.

Center Township starter Trevor Dunkel had limited Butler Township to just two hits in the first three innings before the offense finally came to life.

Matt McCune singled and Ryan Smith walked to open the inning and both advanced on a fielder's choice.

Center Township shortstop J.W. Shaffer knocked down Chad Gladd's hard grounder, but the run scored.

Gombos dropped a bunt and was thrown out at first, but the tying run came home. Pitcher Adam Palace followed with an infield single and Andy Onufrak had an RBI single to give Butler Township a 3-2 lead.

That chased Dunkel from the mound and brought in Mike Woodward. He walked Joe Rekich to load the bases, but fanned Brandon Dunn-Setnar to close out the inning.

Center Township was looking to even the score in the top of the fifth inning, but a trick play squashed the threat.

With Josh Warburton at second base and two outs, Palace faked a throw to second base on a pickoff attempt.

Gladd, the second baseman, and Rekich, the shortstop, pretended to chase an errant throw and allowed Palace to run straight at Warburton for the final out of the inning.

"I think that really picked these guys up," said Butler Township manager Gene Zawrotuk. "We practice that and Matt McCune said 'Gee, we haven't used it this year.' I figured Adam Miller was up and he's a good hitter, so we took a shot."

"I saw (Palace) make the throw and the two guys fell down," said the elder Shaffer. "That was an interesting play. It didn't make the difference. We only had (six) hits and that's how it's been all year: a lack of hits."

With the rain still pouring, Butler tacked on some important insurance runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run single by Rob Cochran.

Center Township chipped away in the sixth inning when a two-run double by Clayton Smith made it a 7-4 game.

Palace, however, induced Bruce Cornibe to line out, Nathan Markle to hit into a fielder's choice and J.W. Shaffer to line out to end the inning.

Butler Township countered by batting around with a four-run sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Cochran had an RBI double, Gladd a two-run single and Palace a run-scoring single to account for the runs.

Notes:

Palace tossed a complete game, striking out nine and walking two … Center Township used five different pitchers: Dunkel, Woodward, Dan Ristity, Cornibe and Ryan Banner.

Center Twp. 101 002 0 - 4 6 1

Butler Twp. 000 344 x - 11 12 4

WP:

Adam Palace (7 IP) 9 strikeouts, 2 walks.

LP:

Trevor Dunkel (3

IP) 2 strikeouts, 2 walks

Center Twp. (14-8):

Josh Warburton 1B; Joe Palermo 1B; Adam Miller 2B, RBI; Josh Swartzlander 1B; Clayton Smith 2B, 2 RBI; Nathan Markle 1B

Butler Township (14-7-1):

Andy Onufrak 2-1B, RBI; Matt McCune 1B; Ryan Smith 2-1B; Rob Cochran 2-1B, 2B, 3 RBI; Chad Gladd 1B, 3 RBI; Gary Gombos 2B, RBI; Adam Palace 2-1B, RBI

Friday:

BCAL playoff final-Butler Township vs. Prospect-East Butler winner at Pullman Park, 6 p.m.