The hits weren't falling for Butler Thursday against Chillicothe (Ohio), but they got different results Friday.

The BlueSox rapped out 15 hits against the Paints Friday, registering at least one every inning in a 7-2 Prospect League victory at Pullman Park.

With the win, Butler (10-9) pulled to within one game of the Paints for first place in the Eastern Division. The two teams were scheduled to square off in Chillicothe Saturday and Sunday.

On Thursday, the Paints (12-9) limited Butler to four hits in a 3-1 BlueSox loss.

"Two of the past three days we've faced a really good pitcher," said BlueSox manager Jason Wuerfel. "(Thursday) night we squared up and just hit it to guys.

"Our guys stuck with it. Being a professional is all about consistency. A lesser hitter will think about making adjustments too quick. We got aggressive (Friday). We bunted for hits and we got pitches we could hit," Wuerfel added.

Butler had two runners thrown out on the base paths in the first two innings — an out at home on a would-be sacrifice fly to end the first and a pickoff of a runner at second base in the second inning — but the BlueSox kept being aggressive.

They had six bunts, including three for singles, which helped to open things up.

"What it does is not just offensively for hits, but that makes the third baseman play up a bit almost every time and now you have the angles where hits can go through," Wuerfel noted.

A two-out RBI double by Cory Maguire gave the Paints a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but the BlueSox took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth.

A bunt single by Zach Noonan was followed by a Sean Gusrang single. Ryan McChesney then had an RBI double to tie the game. A fielder's choice plated the other run to give Butler the lead.

The Paints tied the game in the fifth on an RBI single by Zack Leonard. But, with two on and one out, BlueSox pitcher Andrew DiNardo got Maguire to ground into a fielder's choice — thanks to a diving save by second baseman and Butler graduate Aaron Ordy — and Andrew Marshall to ground out.

In the home half of the fifth, Butler took the lead for good when Eric Hymel came around to score from second on a slow grounder by Noonan, who beat the throw to first.

An Paints error and an RBI single by Ordy in the sixth opened up a 5-2 BlueSox advantage, then run-scoring singles by Jacke Healey in the seventh inning and by Brett Zurlene in the eighth closed out the scoring.

Butler embarks on a five-game road trip, and this is the point in the year the team must make a push to show it belongs.

"We're getting to the dog days," Wuerfel said. "The adrenaline of the first 20 games is gone. The next 15 is where teams separate from the pack. If we're to be one of those teams, we'll have to separate."

Chillicothe 001 010 000 — 2 5 1Butler 000 212 11x — 7 15 0W: Andrew DiNardo (6 IP) 2 K, 2 BB.

L: Tony Davey (5Z\c IP) 3 K, 1 BB.

Chillicothe (12-9): Zack Leonard 1B, RBI; Cory Maguire 2B, RBI; Andy Brouse 1B; Kyle Gendron 1B; Steve Mirizzi 1B

Butler (10-9): Brian Billigen 1B, 3B; Zach Noonan 2-1B, RBI; Sean Gusrang 1B; Ryan McChesney 1B, 2-2B, RBI; Jacke Healey 2-1B, RBI; Jack Greenberg 2B, RBI; Aaron Ordy 1B, RBI; Eric Hymel 2-1B; Brett Zurlene 1B, RBI

Saturday and Sunday: Butler at Chillicothe