Paints take down Butler
Three different pitchers have blown saves, the Butler BlueSox have committed 12 errors during a four-game losing streak and they stranded 10 runners in their latest loss Monday night.
Still, despite a 1-4 start that has seen very little go right, the Prospect League baseball team isn't breaking the glass over the panic button just yet.
"If I thought they stunk, I'd tell them they stunk," said Butler manager Jason Wuerfel. "But they don't. They are good players. They are a good team of guys, and that's what sets my mind at ease."
The latest setback — a 6-5 loss to Chillicothe (Ohio) at Pullman Park — came despite a late rally.
Trailing 6-2, Butler put three runs on the board against Paints reliever Fred Lucchetti and had the winning run at first when BlueSox DH Logan Uxa flied out to end the game.
Kyle Lindquist came in to get the final out for Chillicothe and recorded a save.
Blake Mascarello picked up win for Chillicothe, pitching six strong innings. The Paints have rolled off five straight wins to start the season.
Errors hurt Butler again.
Starting pitcher Brian Warheit, a Butler High graduate, pitched well over six innings. Only three of the five runs he surrendered were earned.
"We're going to play defense better than we have," Wuerfel said. "And we are going to continue to pitch well. We have a good starting rotation, and we have a couple of young guys in the pen who are going to come into their own. They have some things to work on."
Chillicothe took advantage of two Butler fielding blunders to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the fifth.
Butler responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but the Paints added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to lead 6-2.
Warheit said he struggled with the command of his slider and the feel for a curveball he hopes to develop this season.
"When I made a mistake, they hit it hard," Warheit said. "I was up and down, all over the place."
The BlueSox, though, had opportunities to help Warheit, but they couldn't deliver big hits with runner on base. Of the 10 stranded, four were in scoring position.
"We are going to hit," Wuerfel said. "We're just not getting the timely hitting. It's just a matter of them relaxing with runners in scoring position and trusting their ability."
Notes: Seneca Valley graduate Kevan Smith continued his torrid start for Butler, going 2-for-4 to raise his team-leading average to .438. ... Butler's four loss have come by a combined eight runs. ... BlueSox shortstop Tyler Sciacca has driven in five runs in the first five games.
Chillicothe 010 031 100 — 6 10 2Butler 000 020 003 — 5 12 3W: Blake Mascarello 6 IP (2 K, 1 BB).
L: Brian Warheit 6 IP (1 K, 0 BB).
Chillicothe (5-0): Torsten Boss 2B 1B RBI, Jeff Holm 2-2B RBI, Payton Bieker 3B, Cody Elliott 3B 1B RBI, Brandon White 3B
Butler (1-4): Austin Wulf 2-1B RBI, Jonathan Craycraft 2-1B, Kevan Smith 2-1B, Tyler Sciacca 2-1B 2-RBI, Cameron Squires 2B, Kody Campbell 1B RBI
Wednesday: Richmond (Ind.) at Butler
