SLIPPERY ROCK — The only thing hotter than the weather these days is the Butler bats.

A night after collecting 26 hits and scoring 20 runs at Richmond, the BlueSox banged out 17 hits and scored nine runs in a 9-7 win over the Slippery Rock Sliders in Prospect League action at Critchfield Park on a sultry Thursday evening.

“We've definitely been hitting the ball very, very well,” said Butler manager Anthony Rebyanski. “And they've hit the ball hard. It's good and it has definitely come at a good time.”

The BlueSox (16-11) needed almost every hit and every run to hold off Slippery Rock.

What looked like an easy win — Butler led 4-0 after the top of the first inning and 8-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth — quickly turned into a tight contest when the Sliders plated six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Butler starting pitcher Kyle Thomas cruised once again through the first seven innings, striking out 10 and walking just one.

“He's definitely effective when his change-up is working,” Rebyanski said of the left-hander. “It doesn't look any different than his fastball and he gets hitters to beat it into the ground or pop it up. That's what he does best.”

Thomas was lifted for relief pitcher Tim Haley in the eighth.

The right-hander struggled, though, giving up three straight singles and then walking in two runs before leaving the game.

After a three-run double off the bat of pinch-hitter Pat Gelwicks against David Kucenic closed the gap to 8-7 with one out, Rebyanski went to his closer, Adam Dian.

All the right-hander did was get out of that jam, before working a perfect ninth for his eighth save of the season.

“He had a little bit of a tough outing in Richmond (in a 7-6 loss Tuesday),” Rebyanski said. “But he bounced back. I told him, 'You're our closer, you're our guy and you are going to get the ball nine times out of 10.' He has a mindset that every day is a new day.”

While Dian is anchoring Butler's pen nicely, Slippery Rock's bullpen is banged up and struggling.

The Sliders' rotation isn't helping matters.

Starter Max Deering couldn't get out of the fifth, surrendering six runs — four earned — on 11 hits.

“(Deering) was leaving the ball up a little bit,” said Slippery Rock manager Shawn Pynn. “Our starters are not getting deep in games, which is putting a lot on our bullpen. We haven't been getting even six innings from our starters.”

Pynn was so desperate for arms that he trotted reserve outfielder Derek Peake out to the mound to start the ninth.

Peake threw a steady diet of knuckleballs, but gave up a home run to Kyle Petty and then a four-pitch walk to Matt Albaugh before he was lifted for Brent Roerhich, who only pitched to one batter before leaving with a tweaked knee.

Grove City High graduate Jason Revesz, the fifth Slider pitcher of the night, got the last two outs of the inning.

“We were a little bit short in the bullpen,” Pynn said. “Tomorrow, our guys will be a little more rested.

“My main goal is to get these guys back to their (college) teams healthy,” Pynn added. “I know there are other managers that will run their pitchers out there until they are dead. I refuse to do it.”

It mattered little who was pitching for the Sliders with the way the BlueSox were swinging the bat.

Petty went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Jason Radwan also had three hits, including a triple, and three RBIs.

Six Butler players had a multi-hit game.

“I just hope the guys can keep it going,” Rebyanski said.

Butler 400 022 001 — 9 17 2

Slippery Rock 001 000 060 — 7 11 1

W: Kyle Thomas 7IP (10K, 1BB). L: Max Deering 4.2IP (3K, 1BB).

Butler (16-11): Brandon Constantine 2-1B, Elliott Caldwell 2B 1B 2-RBI, Kyle Petty HR 2B 1B 3-RBI, Matt Albaugh 2B, Jason Radwan 3B 2-1B 3-RBI, Neal Jacobs 1B RBI, Justin Brozick 3-1B, Gavin Meyer 2-1B

Slippery Rock (9-18): Trent Wooldridge 1B, Ryan Abernathy 2B 2-1B, Pat Guinane 2B 1B RBI, Zach Looney 2B, Drew Bryan 1B RBI, Alex Lang 2B RBI, Paty Gelwicks 2B 3-RBI

Today: Butler at Slippery Rock