BUTLER TWP — Thursday proved to be a reversal of fortune for the Franklin 11- and 12-year-old All-Star team.

Because of it, the squad was crowned the Little League District 25 champions with a 9-4 victory over host Butler Township at Adelman Field.

Butler Township had won 10-1 at Franklin Wednesday to force the championship final at Butler Township.

Franklin, however, used a three-run homer by Clayton Maxon and solo shots by Nate Cardy and Curtis Masterson to power the team to the championship.

"I told the kids that if we came down here and beat them, then that's what people will end up remembering," said Franklin coach Don Jones.

Butler Township could not keep Franklin's hitters in check and could not cash in on their own opportunities.

Butler Township stranded 10 runners in six innings, including two in four different innings.

"We had two of those types of games this year and both were against Franklin," said Butler Township coach Mike Denny.

Bria Bevier's groundout in the top of the second gave Franklin a 1-0 lead. Butler Township had runners at first and second in the first inning, then first and third in the second — both with two outs — but Cardy, the Franklin starter, pitched out of trouble.

In the third, Cardy led off with a home run, then Masterson and Breck Schneider hit consecutive singles before Maxon's blast over the right- center field fence for a 5-0 Franklin advantage.

Butler Township had a chance to rebound when Ryan Denny opened with a single, then, one out later, Adam Schaffner was walked intentionally. After a wild pitch moved both runners up, Jake Lenhart's grounder drove home Maxwell, then Cody Wheeler grounded out to end the frame.

"We just didn't have that one big inning like you need to get out of a deficit," said Denny.

Butler Township scored each subsequent inning, but Franklin answered

An RBI single by Schneider in the fourth allowed Franklin to take back its five-run lead.

Butler Township countered with RBI singles by pinch-hitter Mark Gross and Denny to make it 6-3.

After a Maxwell single put runners at first and second with two outs, Cardy struck out Schaffner, who had received two intentional walks in his first two at-bats.

Any momentum Butler Township might have had was gone in the fifth after Franklin plated two runs, one on a play with two throwing errors, then other on a wild pitch, all with Bevier up to bat.

"That was huge," said Jones. "It put us back up by five and we got back the two runs we just gave up."

Chris Gamble's home run pulled Butler Township to 8-4 in the bottom of the frame, but Masterson's home run in the sixth closed out the scoring.

"Good teams build leads," said Jones. "We got up by five but we were playing like it was one run."

"They are a very special group of kids, special parents, special team," Mike Denny said. "Coach Patten, Coach Gross, Coach Rice and my assistant coach, Coach Wheeler — the boys were taught things beyond the Little League level."

Franklin 014 121 — 9 12 1Butler Twp. 001 210 — 4 6 5W: Nate Cardy 4X\c IP (4 K, 4 BB).

L: Logan Maxwell 32/3 IP (3 K, 1 BB).

Franklin (5-1): Nate Cardy 2-2B, HR; Curtis Masterson 1B, HR; Breck Schneider 2-1B, RBI; Clayton Maxon 1B, HR, 3 RBI; Ryan Madden 2-1B; Bria Bevier RBI; Dusty Bell 1B

Butler (4-2): Ryan Denny 3-1B, RBI; Logan Maxwell 1B; Jake Lenhart RBI; Chris Gamble 2B, HR; Mark Gross 1B, RBI