SLIPPERY ROCK — Butler and Slippery Rock met Tuesday in a Prospect League baseball clash and a football game broke out.

The BlueSox out-slugged the Sliders 17-10 in the latter’s 2013 home opener at Critchfield Park.

Butler scored the bulk of its runs in a 10-run third inning while Slippery Rock sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run ninth frame.

“We’ve hit the ball well the last couple of games,” said Butler manager Anthony Rebyanski, who watched his team tally 16 hits against the Sliders. “It’s good to see that we can go out and score a bunch of runs.”

Slippery Rock starting pitcher Will Waterman pitched two scoreless innings to open the game and held a slim 1-0 lead entering the third. But he began the frame by hitting Russell Clark with a pitch.

Ryan Fitzgerald reached on a fielder’s choice and Clark was safe at second after a Slippery Rock fielding error. Following a sacrifice bunt from Alex Miklos, Tyler Detmer walked to load the bases and that’s when the floodgates opened.

Cody Herald, Taylor Schmidt, Justin Brozick, Matt Berezo and Jordan Schwartz strung together five straight hits. Berezo’s was a two-run triple just inside the first-base bag. Clark came to the plate for the second time in the inning and reached on an error and Waterman went 2-0 on Fitzgerald, leading to the pitcher’s exit from the game. Before the inning was over, Miklos would bring home three more runs with a double against reliever Dan Garza.

Two Slider errors in the inning led to four unearned runs.

“Butler blew the game open in the third,” said Slippery Rock manager Brett Neffendorf. “We just didn’t take care of the baseball.”

Butler (4-3) added four runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 16-2 lead to the delight of starting pitcher Brett Sullivan, who earned the win after allowing four runs on 10 hits in his six innings of work.

Rebyanski was hoping for a quick bottom of the ninth, but Slippery Rock did not cooperate.

Trailing 17-4, six straight Sliders reached base with two outs. Included was a two-run home run from first baseman Matt Calhoun, his second four-bagger of the night. Five of the Sliders’ six runs in the ninth were charged to reliever Jason Revesz. Anthony Battaglia came in to get the final out.

“I probably left Jason in a bit too long,” admitted Rebyanski. “The positive tonight is that we did win the game, but momentum is big in baseball. Slippery Rock will have momentum entering (Wednesday’s) game because of the way this one ended.”

Along with Calhoun’s two home runs, the Sliders (2-4) also received a homer from Morgan McCasland.

“We have three or four guys on the team who hit between 10 and 12 home runs during the college season,” said Neffendorf. “We expect to have some pop in our lineup this season.

“It’s definitely a positive the way we battled tonight on offense,” he added.

Note: Also seeing time on the mound for the Sliders were Travis Clark, Kyle Krings, Alex Watson and Kevin Becker-Menditto. ... The two teams will square off again tonight at Pullman Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Butler 00(10) 420 010 — 17 16 3

Slippery Rock 010 102 006 — 10 15 3

W: Brett Sullivan 6 IP (4K, 0BB). L: Will Waterman 2 1/3 IP (2K, 2BB).

Butler (4-3): Ryan Fitzgerald 1B 3B 3R 3RBI, Alex Miklos 2B R 2RBI, Tyler Detmer 2B R 2RBI, Cody Herald 2-1B R 2RBI, Taylor Schmidt 1B R RBI, Justin Brozick 3-1B 2B 3R RBI, Matt Berezo 1B 3B 3R 2RBI, Jordan Schwartz 2-1B R 2RBI, Russell Clark 2B 3R

Slippery Rock (2-4): Ryne Clark 1B R, Ryan Hall 2-1B R, Casey Roche R, Matt Calhoun 1B 2HR 3R 4RBI, Storm Wilson 3-1B R RBI, Morgan McCasland HR 2R 2RBI, Trey Rogers 1B 2B R 2RBI, Cooper Mickelson 2-1B RBI, Aaron Lindgren 1B

Today: Slippery Rock at Butler