West Virginia broke open a close game with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and went on to defeat the visiting Butler BlueSox 10-6 in Prospect League baseball action Friday night.

All of the Miners’ runs came against Butler starter Connor Coward (five innings) and reliever Andre Jones (1/3 inning).

Coward, making his debut for the team, shouldered the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits while striking out six and walking four in five innings of work.

Butler (8-11) fell behind 3-0 in the first, but its offense came alive with six runs on 12 hits. The Sox led 4-3 entering the bottom of the fifth, when the Miners scored twice to take a 5-4 edge.

Butler shortstop Matt Hansen went 3-for-5, raising his team-leading batting average to .369.

David Marcus doubled and scored two runs for the BlueSox. Marcus is batting .352 this season.

Catcher Russell Clark also had a pair of hits for Butler.

The Sox received a combined 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief from Eli Martin, Jamie Switalski and Zach Spangler.

The trio of relievers has yet to surrender an earned run this season in 16 1/3 innings.

Butler returns home to begin a two-game series against Jamestown at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.