Zach Patterson's first start of the season wound up helping the Butler BlueSox post a memorable finish.

The incoming Arkansas State sophomore allowed one run in six innings Saturday night in the second game of the Blue Sox' season-ended doubleheader against Champion City at Kelly Automotive Park.

He paved the way to a 3-2 victory and a sweep of the twinbill. The BlueSox won the first game, 9-6, and finished the season on a four-game winning streak, two games shy of the Prospect League's East Division second-half title.

Butler (15-15) swept a three-game weekend series from the Kings, knocking them out of a playoff berth.

“I don't care much about playing spoiler,” BlueSox manager Jason Radwan said. “I like everybody in this league. I'd rather we had a couple of more games left to try to get into the playoffs.

“We made our own bed the way we played earlier in this half. Still, I'm proud of the way we finished. A lot of teams might have just cashed it in late, being out of it, but we played good ball in this final week. These guys all know each other now and we had a lot of fun tonight.”

Nobody had more fun than Patterson. The right-hander's first 23 appearances this summer were out of the bullpen. He had Tommy John surgery last summer.

“He's about a year out from that surgery and came back early,” Radwan said. “I was afraid to start him all year. I didn't want to do any damage. Maybe I should have started him earlier.”

Patterson threw 93 pitches and struck out five. He left the game with a 3-1 lead, having faced a stellar mound opponent in 6-foot-6 Virginia Tech junior Andrew McDonald.

McDonald entered the game with a 2.80 earned run average and finished the season with 77 strikeouts in 76 innings.

“I figured this would be a low-scoring game,” Patterson said. “I pretty much just threw a fastball and curve all night. I think I threw two change-ups the whole game.

“The guys gave me run support and good defense. Winning this last game in front of a crowd like this feels pretty good.”

Attendance for the twinbill was 1,195.

The BlueSox managed just four hits off McDonald, who struck out nine in going the distance. Dalton Hoiles led off Butler's third inning with a bunt single and wound up scoring on a Will Schneider sacrifice fly.

After Champion City (16-14) tied the game in the top of the fourth, Kristian Webb led off the bottom of the inning with a walk — McDonald's only free pass of the game. The next two hitters struck out before Tyler Niemann lofted a two-run homer over the right field wall.

It was Niemann's third homer of the season.

“That guy was nasty,” Niemann said of McDonald. “He made me look sick on a back-door slider the pitch before. Then he left a change-up up in the zone and I got it.”

Needing a win to stay alive for a postseason spot, Champion City made things interesting in the final inning.

Doubles by Aaron Bond and Jett Swettland pulled the Kings within a run. With two on and two outs, Kyle Zurak relieved Jack Herzing on the mound and struck out Demetrius Moorer to end the game and the season.

In the first game, Jamie Switalski belted a two-run homer and Dillon Sunnafrank drilled a three-run triple as the BlueSox built a 9-0 lead in the first four innings. Schneider and James Meeker had three singles each as Butler held on for the win.

Sunnafrank's triple gave him a 17-game hitting streak, matching a BlueSox club record. He did not get a hit in the second game.

Nolan Krivinjanski got the win in the first game, throwing 90 pitches in six innings. He allowed just five hits.

“This was only his second start for us,” Radwan saiod. “Both were quality outings. I wish we had him around all year.

“This was a good way to go out. We had a big crowd and this community has supported the BlueSox as long as the franchise has been around.”

Notes: The BlueSox finished with a 29-31 overall record. ... Seneca Valley graduate Connor Coward was shut down late in the season, but finished the summer with a 2.22 earned run average, 68 strikeouts and just seven walks in 56.2 innings pitched for the BlueSox. ... Butler's average home attendance was 677 this season, down from 711 in 2015. The Prospect League's average attendnce was 1,007, with four teams — Chillicothe, Springfield, Kokomo and Danville — averaging more than 1,500 per game. ... Tyler Sullivan received the BlueSox' annual Diamond Award for dedication and sportsmanship.

The BlueSox annual Buck-A-Hit Campaign netted $7,336 this season for the Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Addiction Center in Butler. Contributing a dollar for every BlueSox hit this season were the BlueSox, NexTier Bank, Honda North, FCI Federal, Eisler Nurseries, Henninger and Robinson, Joan Chew, Martin J. O'Brien, Subway of Butler, Butler Eagle, Ron and Linda Vodenichar, Bennett Wealth Management, Butler Eye Care and C.W. Howard Insurance.

First GameChampion City 000 021 3 — 6 6 4Butler 302 400 x — 9 11 1W: Nolan Krivinjanski 6IP (4K, 3BB). L: Zane Collins 3IP (1K, 3BB).Champion City: Matt Fallon 1B, Demetrius Moorer 3B, Matt Furuto 2-RBI, Lee Sponseller 1B 2-RBI, John Goodrich 2-1B, Aaron Bond 2B RBI, Gage Taylor RBIButler: Tyler Sullivan 2-R, Will Schneider 3-1B, Dillon Sunnafrank 3B 3-RBI 2-R, Jamie Switalski HR 2-RBI 2-R, James Meeker 3-1B, Nick Stotler 2-1B RBI, Dalton Hoiles RBI, Zachary Mathias 2BSecond GameChampion City 000 100 1 — 2 6 0Butler 001 200 x — 3 4 0W: Zach Patterson 6IP (5K, 4BB). L: Andrew McDonald 6IP (9K, 1BB).Champion City (16-14): Demetrius Moorer 2B, Lee Sponseller 2B, Aaron Bond 2-2B RBI, Jett Swettland 2B RBI. Gage Taylor 1BButler (15-15): Tyler Sullivan 1B, Will Schneider RBI, James Meeker 1B, Tyler Niemann HR 2-RBI, Dalton Hoiles 1B