You can't win them all.

But Butler BlueSox manager Cody Herald believes his team should have won the one Tuesday night.

The BlueSox (4-3) saw their four-game win streak snapped by a 5-3 loss to Champion City at Kelly Automotive Park. The score was tied at two in the sixth and seventh innings. Butler began both of those frames with doubles, but couldn't plate either runner.

“It comes down to doing the little things right,” Herald said. “We have to get those runners over to third base.

“I gave the bunt sign twice and it was missed both times. The signals aren't that difficult. Maybe they (batters) just missed them, blew them off, got them mixed up with their college signs, I don't know.

“This is summer baseball and players want to have fun. I want them to have fun — but a competitor does what's needed to do to win games,” Herald added.

To make matters worse, Champion City (3-4) scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth — both times with two outs and no one on — to grab the win and end a four-game skid.

Noah West singled to right with two outs in the eighth. Larry Crisler followed with a hit-and-run single to right and stole second. D.J. Dillon delivered a two-run single to left to break the 2-2 tie.

“That was a big hit for that kid,” Champion City manager Mike Ruechel said of Dillon. “He came up with runners at second and third and two out in his last at bat and ended the inning.

“Those two-out hits are encouraging.”

With two outs in the ninth, No. 9 hitter Nate Cobb beat out an infield single, stole second and scored on Gage Taylor's single to center.

The loss spoiled solid nights by BlueSox first baseman Patrick Ferguson and Butler graduate and starting pitcher Mark Gross.

Ferguson had all three RBI for Butler — hitting a two-run homer to right in the second inning — and a run-scoring single in the ninth. Tanner Murphy ended the game by grounding out to shortstop with the tying runs on base.

Ferguson has already hit four home runs this season.

Gross struck out six and allowed only three hits in six innings of work. He threw 98 pitches.

“We had to get Mark out of there because of pitch count,” Herald said. “But he's a bulldog out there. Nothing gets to him. He's a quick worker — he gets the ball and goes.”

Gross said he — and his team — are “proving we can compete with the high-end guys in this league.”

His slider enabled him to work ahead of hitters most of the night. Gross issued only one walk.

“I'm definitely learning to control the game,” he said. “I felt good out there. I have to stay ahead in the count to be effective.”

Ruechel understood Butler's frustration about not pushing across leadoff doubles by Ben Carew in the sixth and Kristian Webb in the seventh.

“This league is all about close games and that's the difference between winning and losing,” Ruechel said. “When we get a leadoff man on second base, we're moving him over, pure and simple.”

The BlueSox host Champion City again tonight. Nolan Krivijanski will be on the mound for Butler.

“They seem to have our number,” Herald said of the Kings. “All three of their wins are against us. Hopefully, we can change that.”

Champion City 000 200 021 — 5 9 0

Butler BlueSox 020 000 001 — 3 8 4

W: Dan Kreuzer 3IP (4K, 1BB). L: Jake Stout 2IP (2K, 0BB).

Champion City (3-4): Gage Taylor 1B RBI, Jay Copeland 2-1B, Noah West 1B, Larry Crisler 2-1B RBI, D.J. Dillon 1B 2-RBI, Nate Cobb 2-1B

BlueSox (4-3): Ben Carew 1B 2B, Rey Gonzalez 1B 2B 2-R, Kristian Webb 2B, Patrick Ferguson HR 1B 3-RBI, Tanner Murphy 2B

Today: Champion City at BlueSox, 6:35 p.m.