Two slow starts, one big finish.

Neal Jacobs belted a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night, handing the Butler BlueSox a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over Chillicothe in a mutual Prospect League season opener at Pullman Park.

The game didn't begin until 8 p.m., after an hour and 25-minute rain delay. Once it did start, Chillicothe scored four runs in the top of the first inning as BlueSox starting pitcher Kyle Thomas endured a 43-pitch opening frame.

Thomas threw 70 pitches in the first two innings and did not take the mound for a third.

“Our other two pitchers picked him up,” BlueSox manager Anthony Rebanyski said. “Kyle is a resilient kid. He'll bounce back from this.

“We always preach to our guys to play hard for innings one through nine. Tonight was a prime example of why you do that.”

Chris Maragon of Ball State University pitched innings three through six for Butler, allowing one run while throwing 69 pitches. Adam Dian, a right-hander from Temple University, was even more impressive. He worked three scoreless innings, striking out three while throwing only 33 pitches to get the win.

“Adam was lights out. He looked very good,” Rebyanski said.

Jacobs, a freshman from Central Michigan University, didn't look so good in his first at-bat, striking out to end the bottom of the first.

Ryan Richardson had pulled the BlueSox within 4-3 with a three-run double to left before Jacobs stranded him at second.

“I looked pretty silly up there,” Jacobs said. “I redshirted this spring. This was the first game I've played all year and it showed. I felt the jitters out there.”

Jacobs singled to center to begin the fourth inning, stole second and scored on Jon Danielczyk's single to left. That cut the Paints' lead to 5-4 at the time.

The BlueSox trailed 6-4 entering the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Petty was hit by a pitch to start the frame, but Jason Radwan grounded into a double play. Butler hit into five double plays on the night.

“We were dealing with some tough luck through much of this game, but we kept fighting,” Rebyanski said.

After Radwan's at-bat, Matt Albaugh grounded a single up the middle and Richardson singled to right. Jacobs, a right-handed hitter, followed with his home run over the right-field fence.

Despite his heroics, Jacobs still had to do 10 push-ups after the game.

“Every time I try to pull an outside pitch, I have to do 10,” he said. “Fortunately, I only did it once tonight.”

“When he was coming around third (on the home run), I joked that that's why we want him hitting the ball where it's pitched,” Rebyanski said.

Jacobs hit 15 home runs during his high school career at Cleveland St. Ignatius, including seven his senior year.

His blast Tuesday night spoiled a solid mound effort from College of Wooster product Keenan White, a left-hander who threw 78 pitches and left the game after six innings with a 6-4 lead.

“That kid put a good swing on the pitch and drove it out,” Chillicothe manager Brian Mannino said. “Both teams hit the ball well tonight.

“This is what this league is all about. Teams are evenly matched. It's always going to be a battle.”

BlueSox shortstop Elliott Caldwell helped preserve the win in the ninth. With a runner at first and one out, he made a diving stop on a grounder up the middle and flipped to second baseman Radwan for a force play.

Notes: Attendance was approximately 500. ... Kevin Zak hit a towering home run to left for the Paints, the ball traveling more than 400 feet. ... Four of the BlueSox double play balls were hard-hit ground balls. The other was a fly ball to center that the center fielder lost in the lights. Left fielder Vinnie Booker raced over to make the catch and doubled Danielczyk off of first base.

Chillicothe 410 010 000 — 6 10 3

Butler BlueSox 300 100 03x —7 11 2

W: Adam Dian 3IP (3K, 1BB). L: Will Nimke 1.2IP (1K, 0BB).

Chillicothe (0-1): Vinnie Booker 3B 1B, Jared Kujawa 1B, Kevin Zak HR 2-RBI 2-R, Giancarlo Brunomi 1B RBI, Dan Zuchowski 2-1B, Thomas Linder 2-1B 2-RBI, Cody Stevens 2B RBI

Butler (1-0): Elliott Caldwell 1B, Kyle Petty 1B, Jason Radwan 1B, Matt Albaugh 2-1B 2-R, Ryan Richardson 2B 1B 3-RBI, Neal Jacobs HR 1B 3-RBI 2-R, Chris Rasky 1B, Jon Danielczyk 1B RBI

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