Butler BlueSox manager Jason Radwan likes to see his team manufacture runs, but he has no problem with instant offense, either.

David Marcus provided two doses of it Thursday night.

Butler’s clean-up hitter launched a pair of home runs — a two-run shot in the bottom of the first and a solo one in the fifth frame — to lift the BlueSox to a 6-4 win over Chillicothe at Kelly Automotive Park.

Hitting with power is nothing new for Marcus, who tied California (Pa.) University’s single-season record for round-trippers with 15 this spring.

His homers Thursday were Butler’s first two of the season.

“I’m just trying to get used to the wooden bats and work on my mental approach at the plate,” said Marcus, who said he knew nothing about Chillicothe starter Jake Shields before facing him Thursday. “I usually look for fastball on the first pitch, then I adjust. Hitting in the middle of the order, I see a lot of off-speed stuff.”

Marcus hit a fastball from Shields over the right-field fence in the first inning to give the Sox a 2-1 lead. Four innings later, he yanked a change-up over the right-field foul pole to extend Butler’s edge to 6-1. It proved to be the last pitch of the night for Shields, who was pulled after allowing six earned runs in 4.2 innings of work.

“David had been struggling early on,” said Radwan of Marcus. “He’s been just missing on some pitches and other times, he’s smoked balls right at guys. It was nice to see him hit the way he did tonight.

“He has ridiculous pop in his bat, you can see it during batting practice,” he added. “We’re expecting big things from him this season.”

Before Marcus came to the plate in the fifth frame, Mark DeVita had already scored on a Chillicothe fielding error and Mike Patrick singled home another run.

The Paints (4-4) mounted a comeback with three runs in the top of the seventh. The damage came against Butler reliever Tim Faix in his second inning on the mound. Ryan Callahan drove in a run with a single, Deion Tansel had an RBI-double and Hunter Prince’s groundout scored another run. But Chillicothe also stranded 11 runners on base, including seven in scoring position.

“We didn’t come up with hits in the clutch, but you have to credit Butler,” said Paints’ manager Greg Cypret. “Their guys made good pitches.”

That included reliever Eli Martin, who left runners at first and second in the top of the eighth inning. Seneca Valley graduate Zach Spangler didn’t need to pitch out of a jam in the ninth, striking out all three batters he faced for the save.

The pitching win went to Butler starter Josh LaPiana, who worked the first five innings with three strikeouts and two walks. After surrendering a first-inning run, he put together four scoreless frames while stranding two runners in the fourth and three in the fifth.

“He did not have his best stuff and he told me that,” Radwan said. “But he changed speeds and he battled for us.”

Butler totaled 11 hits in the game.

“Our offense came alive,” said Radwan. “Our hitters are getting more comfortable swinging the wood bats.”

Butler (4-4) will look to move above .500 when it hosts the Paints again tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Chillicothe 100 000 300 — 4 12 1

Butler 210 030 00x — 6 11 0

W: Josh LaPiana 5 IP (3K, 2BB). L: Jake Shields 4.2 IP (7K, 1BB). S: Zach Spangler 1 IP (3K, 0BB).

Chillicothe (4-4): Jordan Godman 2-1B 2R, Grant Miller 2-1B 2B R RBI, Deion Tansel 2B R RBI, Hunter Prince 1B RBI, Chad Roberts 1B, Ryan Callahan 1B RBI, Derek Hug 3-1B

Butler (4-4): Matt Hansen 1B R, Mike Patrick 1B RBI, Alex Miklos 1B 2B R, David Marcus 1B 2HR 3RBI, Ty White 1B, Mitch Machi 1B R, Mark DeVita 1B 2B R RBI

Today: Chillicothe at Butler