Alex Miklos learned a lot from his first year with the Butler BlueSox last season.

Miklos, a Grove City High graduate and sophomore at Kent State University, joined the BlueSox midway through the Prospect League season in 2012 because the Golden Flashes played deep into the College World Series.

This year, he is wearing the Butler pinstripes from opening day.

That season-opener didn't go quite as planned for Miklos or his team. He singled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Butler a 3-2 lead, but Chillicothe responded with three runs in the top of the eighth and hung on for a 5-3 win at Pullman Park.

Still, Miklos put two poor at-bats to start the game behind him to deliver what could have been the game-winning hit.

“I learned to not get frustrated if you have a bad day,” Miklos said. “You're playing six days a week, so you can always bounce back the next day and get after it.”

Miklos struck out in his first two at-bats and grounded out to third base in his third plate appearance.

His maturity showed in his fourth at-bat when he took a pitch right back up the middle for a RBI single.

“I came in a little anxious, a little excited, for whatever reason,” Miklos said. “I calmed myself down and simplified things.”

Third-year BlueSox manager Anthony Rebyanski spoke with Miklos often this off-season and was impressed with his left-fielder's new demeanor.

Last year, Miklos often “melted down,” Rebyanski said, after poor at-bats and poor games. He did finish the season batting .248 with four home runs and 19 RBI in 31 games.

“He's the kind of player I used to be,” Rebyanski said. “You are so competitive that, a lot of times, it gets you in trouble. I told him he was his own worst enemy. You are going to fail in this game. You're only as good as your next pitch as a pitcher, your next at-bat as a hitter. He's learned that.”

While Miklos and Grove City and Kent State teammate Jason Revesz were on hand for the season opener, nine players weren't for the BlueSox because their college seasons are still alive.

Chillicothe was missing 10 players.

Because of the skeleton crew, Butler picked up Matt Berezo, who will head to Stanford for an internship in June, as a stop-gap. Berezo, who played for Butler in 2011, led off and played third base.

Pitcher Brett Sullivan played right field and pitcher Jordan Schwartz was the designated hitter for the BlueSox.

“(Chillicothe) is a good team, and they are still missing 10 guys,” Rebyanski said. “They're going to get even better. We're in the same boat.”

GJ Senchak got the start for Butler and struggled with his command. The left-hander from California (Pa.) University struck out five, but also walked four, in five innings of work.

Butler took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, taking advantage of back-to-back walks by Chillicothe pitcher Chris Thomas, an error and a RBI single by Schwartz.

Chillicothe scored a run in the top of the fourth inning on a bases-loaded walk and then tied the game in the fifth inning when Jossue Delgado tripled and scored on a groundout by Troy Kuhn.

Miklos' hit gave Butler the lead, but the Paints got to Sox relief pitcher Reid Noah in the eighth, banging out three straight hits and then getting a two run single by No. 9 hitter Vinnie Booker for a 5-3 lead.

Steve Laudicina got the win for Chillicothe, tossing two scoreless innings. Greg Greve worked a scoreless ninth for the save.

The two teams will square off again tonight. Both will still be shorthanded.

“I'm not worried. It's one game,” Rebyanski said. “Like I said in our preseason meetings, if they give 100 percent every game, it's going to pay off down the road.”

Chillicothe 000 110 030 — 5 10 2

Butler 020 000 100 — 3 8 0

W: Steve Laudicina 2IP (1K, 0BB). L: Reid Noah 2IP (3K, 1BB).

Chillicothe (1-0): Jossue Delgado 3B, Troy Kuhn 1B RBI, Brett Sunde 1B 2B RBI, Justin Wagler 2B 1B, Vinnie Booker 1B RBI

Butler (0-1): Alex Miklos 1B RBI, Matt Peters 2-1B, Taylor Schmidt 1B, Russell Clark 1B RBI, Brett Sullivan 2-1B, Jordan Schwartz 1B RBI

Today: Chillocothe at Butler, 6:35 p.m.