With the game even in the eighth inning Thursday night at Kelly Automotive Park, Lafayette decided to take a walk home.

A few of them, actually.

Butler BlueSox pitchers issued three consecutive bases-loaded walks in the eighth, snapping a 2-2 deadlock and paving the way for the Aviators’ 7-2 Prospect League win.

Lafayette swept the two-game series in Butler. The BlueSox issued 16 walks and hit four batters in the two games.

“You can’t win games that way,” Butler manager Jason Radwan said, shaking his head.

But he wasn’t putting all the blame on the pitching staff, either.

“We haven’t been scoring runs and our pitchers know that,” he said. “They’re trying to be too fine with their pitches, feeling like they have to be almost perfect out there.

“That’s a big reason for all of those walks.”

David Calderon was the BlueSox’ starting pitcher and allowed two runs in five innings. He left with the score tied at two, having thrown 86 pitches. He threw 22 of those in the fifth, allowing two runs in the frame.

No. 9 hitter Joe Murray — who had three singles and scored two runs for the Aviators — produced a two-out RBI single and Devan O’Bryan scored on a wild pitch for a 2-1 Lafayette lead.

“David pitched a good game,” Radwan said. “He hadn’t pitched in 13 days and the pitch count caught up to him, that’s all.”

Kristian Webb’s RBI single knotted the game for Butler in the bottom of the inning. Webb drove in both Butler runs on the night.

The game stayed even until the ill-fated eighth.

Murray singled with one out. Aaron Bence tried bunting him to second, but bunted for a hit instead. With two outs, Riley Benner was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Zachary Patterson then walked in the go-ahead run.

Jack Herzing relieved Patterson and walked home two more runs before allowing an RBI infield single to O’Bryan. Lafayette tacked on a run in the ninth for the 7-2 victory.

“We’ve got scrappy hitters at the plate,” Lafayette manager Brent McNeil said. “I like our hitters to work the count and have good at bats. We had a bunch of those over these past two games.”

Evan Warden, an incoming sophomore at Purdue University, worked 5.1 innings of relief to get the win for the Aviators. He allowed a run on four hits in relief of starter Austin Munn.

“Austin was only making his first start of the season, so I didn’t want to go too deep with him,” McNeil said. “Evan’s done everything for us — started games, long relief, closer — and he saved the staff for the rest of the week with this effort tonight.”

Radwan felt the BlueSox hitters should have gotten to the right-hander.

“I thought we should have hit him better,” the BlueSox skipper said. “We got three hits and scored in the one inning (fifth), then nothing after that.

“I’m very frustrated right now. I don’t know what else I can say or do to motivate these guys. We can’t punish them. Technically, they’re not our players.

“It comes down to pride. Summer baseball is the best time of a player’s life. There are people watching these games, scouts in the stands ... We just have to perform better than this. Really, we haven’t played very well at home all year,” Radwan added.

Pavin Parks will pitch tonight as the BlueSox host the first place West Virginia Miners.

Lafayette 000 020 041 — 7 9 0

Butler 100 010 000 — 2 8 0

W: Evan Warden 5.1IP (3K, 2BB). L: Zachary Patterson 2.2IP (3K, 1BB).

Lafayette (6-10, 23-23): Aaron Bence 1B, Eric Willis 2-1B RBI, John Valente 2B RBI, Evan Kennedy 2B, Griffin Robinson RBI, Ben Dickey RBI, Devan O’Bryan 1B RBI, Joe Murray 3-1B RBI 2-R

Butler (6-9, 20-25): Tyler Sullivan 1B, James Meeker 3-1B, Will Schneider 1B, Kristian Webb 1B 2-RBI, Dillon Sunnafrank 1B, Tyler Niemann 1B

Today: West Virginia at Butler, 6:35 p.m.