Connor Coward was able to overcome fielding miscues made behind him.

Matt Yough could not.

The West Virginia Miners got to the Karns City graduate and Gannon University right-hander for four runs — two of them unearned — in the final two innings Thursday night at Kelly Automotive Park. The rally produced a 4-1 victory and spoiled the Butler BlueSox’ season opener.

Butler committed six errors in its debut.

“You’re not going to overcome six errors and win very often,” BlueSox manager Jason Radwan said. “Most of that was just jitters. A lot of these guys aren’t used to playing in front of a crowd like this.

“In a way, it’s to be expected. Hopefully, we’ll adjust to this (atmosphere) pretty quickly.”

The crowd of a few hundred people was animated most of the night. And Coward gave them plenty to cheer about.

The Seneca Valley graduate, coming off a rough spring season at Virginia Tech, struck out 12 and allowed just three singles in seven innings Thursday. He did not walk a batter.

Coward threw 95 pitches, 70 for strikes.

“It felt great out there tonight,” Coward said. “It feels good to be home. I had a lot of issues with my control at Virginia Tech and that was something I wanted to focus on here.”

BlueSox outfielders allowed the ball to get through them on all three singles against Coward. But twice, with a runner at third and one out, the right-hander picked up a strikeout to avoid any damage.

“He was outstanding,” Radwan said of Coward. “He had command of everything. From the day we signed him, I knew Connor was going to start our first game.

“He was very good for us last year and even better tonight. He was constantly getting ahead of the hitters.”

The BlueSox gave Coward a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Jake Kennedy beat out an infield single and Preston Falascino bunted him to second. Dillion Sunnafrank — like Yough, signed to a temporary contract — singled up the middle to plate the run.

Coward took it from there.

“That guy stuck it to us last year and he did it again tonight,” Miners manager Tim Epling said. “When he’s throwing first-pitch strikes that consistently, he’s awfully tough.

“Sometimes you have to be patient. When a team makes fielding miscues, you have to take advantage.”

Jordan Branz greeted Yough with a single to center to start the eighth. He was bunted to second and Taylor Hillson hit a ground ball to third.

Falascino’s throw sailed over first baseman Mitchell Wood’s head. As Wood retrieved the ball, Branz was trying to score. The throw to the plate sailed well wide of the target.

The Miners’ leadoff batter in the ninth reached on an infield error and Austin Norman followed with a single. Keanan Locke’s two-run single to center broke the tie and Branz added a run-scoring single — his fourth hit of the night — for West Virginia.

Miners starting pitcher Jake Belinda — a Lock Haven University junior and nephew of former Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Stan Belinda — struck out eight in five innings.

“He’s a bulldog out there. We like him a lot,” Epling said.

And the BlueSox like Coward.

“I was going to shut him down after six innings and 80 pitches,” Radwan said. “He wanted to go back out for the seventh and I wasn’t going to argue with him. He was throwing too well.”

Notes: The BlueSox opened their eighth season in the Prospect League. ... Dr. Andrew Szabo of Butler Health System threw out the first pitch. The Cranberry Men’s Chorus sang the national anthem. ... The BlueSox host Terre Haute at 6:35 p.m. today.

West Virginia 000 000 013 — 4 7 1

BlueSox 000 100 000 — 1 8 6

W: Chris Metrick 2IP (3K, 1BB). L: Matt Yough 2IP (1K, 1BB).

West Virginia (1-0): Ryan Perkins 1B, Austin Norman 1B, Keanan Locke 1B 2-RBI, Jordan Branz 4-1B RBI

Butler (1-0): Daton Hoiles 1B, Nick Stotler 1B, Jake Kennedy 2-1B, Dillion Sunnafrank 2-1B RBI, Eddie Edwards 2-1B

Today: Terre Haute at Butler