Pete Slavonic was just looking for a run.

He got two.

The Butler BlueSox pitcher was blanking the Slippery Rock Sliders through eight innings, but his own lineup had failed to give him the lead.

Enter Shayne Houck, one of the Prospect League’s top hitters. He stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with a runner on first and two outs and sent Cody Stause’s payoff pitch over the left field wall, accounting for the game’s only runs in a 2-0 win Friday at Pullman Park.

Houck now has three home runs on the season and is hitting .407.

His latest four-bagger made a winner out of Slavonic, who allowed just three hits while striking out four and not walking a batter in a complete game.

“I’ve never seen someone as comfortable in the box as he is,” Slavonic said of Houck. “He’s in a different mode when the game is on the line.”

As well as Houck is performing at the plate, it comes as no surprise to BlueSox manager Anthony Rebyanski.

“I had seen the kid in the past and I knew he could hit,” he said. “It’s something special with him. It’s a shame he wasn’t drafted.”

The game’s first six innings flew by, with Slavonic and Sliders’ starter Scott Dierdorf allowing just seven baserunners between them in that span.

Dierdorf was pulled in the bottom of the seventh frame after allowing a leadoff single to Taylor Juran, followed by Evan Oswald reaching on a throwing error.

“He got tired in the seventh the last time he pitched here,” Sliders’ manager Andy Chalot said of Dierdorf. “It was a gut feeling tonight. The first two guys got on and I pulled him.”

Stause, a southpaw, came in and kept the game scoreless after seven, but surrendered a leadoff single to Jacob Reese in the next inning, setting the stage for Houck’s home run.

It was quite a turnaround for Slavonic, who allowed six earned runs and walked four in 6 1/3 innings in a 7-4 loss to Lorain County June 10. His record now stands at 2-1.

“Efficient, that’s the only word to describe it,” Rebyanski said of Slavonic’s latest outing. “He threw 103 pitches in nine innings and pounded the zone. Slippery Rock’s hitters were out in front of his offspeed stuff and he got the pop-ups when he needed them.”

“I was able to throw all of my pitches for strikes tonight and my curveball was working really well,” Slavonic said. “I got ahead in the count and our guys have been working their tails off on defense.”

Butler (7-7) has won four straight games entering Saturday’s game at Terre Haute.

Slippery Rock (4-10) is mired in a seven-game skid as it travels to Richmond (Ind.).

“For the most part, we’re pitching well,” said Chalot. “It’s been our hitting and defense that’s been costing us.”

Slippery Rock 000 000 000 — 0 3 2Butler 000 000 02x — 2 8 0W: Pete Slavonic 9 IP (4K, 0BB).

L: Cody Stause 2 IP (1K, 0BB).

Slippery Rock (4-10): David Leon 1B, Jon Capasso 1B, James Lundstrum 1B

Butler (7-7): Stephen Vranka 1B, Matt Berezo 2B, Shayne Houck 1B HR 2RBI, Taylor Juran 1B 2B, Evan Oswald 2B, Jacob Reese 1B R

Saturday: Slippery Rock at Richmond; Butler at Terre Haute