Unfamiliar and unconventional.

The combination worked to the tune of a walk-off 6-5 Butler BlueSox win over Chillicothe Thursday night at Kelly Automotive Park.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the BlueSox, who blew a 5-0 lead earlier in the evening.

“You get up 5-0, that's when you have to put teams away,” BlueSox manager Cody Herald admitted. “We didn't do that ... but we didn't let the game get away, either.”

Butler starting pitcher Nick Bucci allowed just three hits while taking that five-run lead into the sixth inning. He recorded two quick outs before four solid hits — including a three-run double by Tanner Piechnick — quickly pulled the Prospect League Eastern Division-leading Paints within 5-4.

Chillicothe knotted the game in the eighth with a two-out, bases-loaded infield single. That's when the BlueSox' newest player — Seneca Valley graduate Connor Coward — took over on the mound.

“I signed at 1 p.m. today,” Coward said. “I wasn't scheduled to pitch tonight. I didn't even bring my cleats. I had to borrow one of the other guys.'

“I wasn't gonna pitch until Wednesday. But the way this game was going ... I told the coaches I could give them an inning. I felt good enough.”

Coward hadn't pitched in five weeks, but the right-hander struck out Chris Petrucci on a 3-2 fastball to end the eighth. He then retired the side in the ninth, striking out two more.

“I'm not used to entering a game during an inning, especially with the bases loaded,” Coward said. “I hadn't pitched in relief since my freshman year (at Virginia Tech).”

Coward will be a senior in college next year. His new teammates made him a winner Thursday.

Calvin Scott led off the BlueSox ninth with a walk. Kristian Webb hit a towering pop fly just beyond the infield that the shortstop lost in the lights, allowing the ball to drop for a single.

With runners at first and second and no one out, Brady Gulakowski stepped up to the plate.

With no bunt sign.

“I know that's unconventional, but my dad always told me to go with your gut,” Herald said. “My gut feeling there was that Brady was going to deliver.

“He's such a powerful hitter. I was going to give him one swing, then maybe bunt with him. One swing for him, two swings for the team.”

Gulakowski made use of his one swing, driving the ball over the right fielder's head for the game-winning hit. He reached base five times in the game — three singles, a walk and as a hit batsman.

“Our coaches have confidence in our abilities,” Gulakowski said. “I wasn't surprised I didn't get the bunt sign there.

“I hit a fastball right down the middle. That felt good. I had been hitting well, but had a couple of bad games at the plate before tonight.”

Gulakowski, a North Carolina State player, took a .283 batting average into the game.

Herald said Bucci got hit hard in the sixth inning “because he probably got a little fatigued.”

“His pitches were all down in the first five innings. Then he started leaving them up. Leave pitches at the belt in this league and you get hit,” Herald said.

Chillicothe had runners at first and third and one out in the seventh, but BlueSox relief pitcher Jack Herzing escaped damage with a strikeout and ground-out.

With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, Herzing struck out Drake Peggs before allowing the game-tying infield single.

Enter Coward to save the day.

“That's a true competitor right there,” Herald said of Coward. “He wanted the ball in that spot. He asked us to give it to him. I love that.”

“We had our chances right there,” Paints manager Brian Bigam said of the seventh and eighth. “We didn't get it done. We couldn't finish it off. That happened to us in our last game, too.”

The Paints and BlueSox play again at 7:05 p.m. today at Kelly Automotive Park. Seton Hill University pitcher Bryce Spak will start for Butler.

Chillicothe 000 004 010 — 5 10 2

BlueSox 021 020 001 — 6 10 0

No outs when winning run scored

W: Connor Coward 1.1IP (3K, 0BB). L: Nick Kamrada 2.2IP (6K, 3BB).

Chillicothe (13-8): Zachary Owings 1B RBI, Chad Roberts 2B 1B, Tyler Cowles 1B RBI, Kyle Prloff 2-1B 2B 2-R, Tanner Piechnick 2B 3-RBI, Dalton Bollinger 1B, Drake Peggs 2B

Butler (9-11): Ben Carew 1B, Pavin Parks 3B 1B 2-R, Calvin Scott 1B 2-RBI, Kristian Webb 1B, Brady Gulakowski 3-1B RBI, Damian Maglione 1B, Stefan Mrkonja 1B 2-RBI

Today: Chillicothe at BlueSox, 7:05 p.m.