LINDEN – A two hour rain delay would only seem to add fuel to the fire that was burning within the Linden 11&12-year old All-Stars Wednesday night, as they bounce back from a 4-0 deficit to eliminate the Butler All-Stars 9-6.

Wednesday night Linden and Butler (2-1) went head-to-head in a thunderstorm of a game at Scott Park that would take four hours to complete.

Butler would take a commanding 4-0 lead after the first inning of play, but heavy rain and lightning would cause a near two-hour delay that enabled linden to come storming back, as they bounce back to tack five runs in the second inning to make it a 5-4 game.

Linden would then add on three more runs in the third inning after a solo home run by Johnson to make it 8-4. But Butler would not go gentle into that good night without a fight, and would rally in the fourth and fifth innings to make an 8-6 game.

But in the end it would Linden’s bat that would end it all, as they add two insurance runs in the top of the sixth to make it a 10-6 game and go on shut down Butler in the bottom of the sixth for the win.

Leading the way for Linden would be Weldon Fultz with a single, Matthew Martin with a single, Chase Smiley with a single, Chris Sammons with a double and Johnson with the solo shot in the third.

With the win, Linden eliminates Butler from tournament play and will face off with Demopolis tonight needing only one win to obtain the championship. Linden got the best of the (2-1) Demopolis All-Stars Tuesday night with a 12-1 win and remains the only unbeaten team of the double-elimination tournament.

Wood Collins and Chris Sammons led Linden Tuesday night, as both cranked out a home run, while pitcher Trevor Johnson collected 13K’s on the hill.

Demopolis must now wait till tonight for its rematch.