Small ball stood tall for the Butler BlueSox in their home opener Thursday night at Kelly Automotive Park.

So did pitchers David Bednar and Kyle Zaorski.

Butler scored two runs without getting a hit in the first inning. Bednar and Zaorski did the rest in polishing off a 2-1 win over the two-time defending Prospect League champion West Virginia Miners.

“It’s always a nail-biter when we play them,” BlueSox manager Anthony Rebyanski said.

Bednar, a Mars graduate, allowed only a single and two walks through the first six innings as the Miners failed to advance a runner past first base. But he ran into trouble in the seventh.

Alex McKeon beat out a chopper to third base and Westyn Baylor was hit by a pitch. Paul Trenhaile lined a run-scoring single to center, chasing Bednar.

The right-hander threw 61 of his 91 pitches for strikes.

“I was getting a little tired, but I could have continued,” Bednar said. “We’ve got plenty of pitchers here, though, and Kyle did a great job getting me out of trouble.”

Zaorski, a starting pitcher at Indiana (Pa.) University who did not make any relief appearances all spring, allowed a one-out infield single to load the bases. He then struck out the No.’s 8 and 9 hitters to preserve the 2-1 lead.

West Virginia did not threaten in the final two innings as Zaorski completed the save.

“I pitched some relief my freshman year (at IUP) and know how to prepare myself to enter a game,” Zaorski said. “I wasn’t looking for a strikeout or a ground ball with the bases loaded ... I was just looking for an out.

“This was a good crowd tonight. It’s easy to come in and throw when there’s a bunch of people cheering and supporting you.”

The BlueSox spoiled a stellar mound effort by West Virginia’s Andrew Bramley, a right-hander from Murray State. He struck out seven and allowed just three hits in six innings.

A bit of wildness cost him in the first inning.

With one out, Forrest Perrone and Anthony Smith were hit by pitches. Both advanced on a double steal and Perrone scored on a passed ball. Smith moved to third on the play and scored on Ryan Uhl’s sacrifice fly.

Rebyanski called for the double steal after not pulling the trigger on one in a 12-inning loss at Lorain County on Wednesday.

“I thought about one then, didn’t do it and we hit into a double play (Wednesday),” Rebyanski said. “That thought rang a bell with me in the first inning, so we went for it.”

“We put ourselves in a position to win in the seventh inning and missed it,” West Virginia manager Tim Epling said. “Still, this was a good ball game. Their guys pitched well and so did ours.

“Pitching usually dominates these early games. It takes a while for the hitters to catch up. But our guy threw strikes all night. That’s what I was happy to see.”

Rebyanski said that “it takes a while for the hitters to adjust to the pitching in this league.

“It (hitting) will come. It may take a week or two,” he added.

Attendance for the home opener was approximately 600.

“The atmosphere was cool,” Bednar said. “A lot of my family and friends were here and the crowd got into it. This was a lot of fun.”

Notes: Butler graduate Mick Fennell played center field for the BlueSox and was 0 for 3 with a walk. ... Dr. Tom Reefer, representing BlueSox sponsor Butler Health System, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Butler mayor Tom Donaldson. ... Ken Errington and Jamie O’Hanlon sang the national anthem. ... A moment of silence for the late William “Digger” Young and Andy Hilliard, both longtime BlueSox and baseball supporters, took place before the game. ... The BlueSox unveiled their alternate uniforms, featuring white pants and jerseys with a big blue letter “B” on the front.

West Virginia 000 000 100 — 1 5 0

BlueSox 200 000 000 — 2 5 0

W: David Bednar 6IP (5K, 2BB). L: Andrew Bramley 6IP (7K, 1BB).

West Virginia (0-1): Mike Brosseau 1B, Alex McKeon 1B, Pauil Trenhaile 1B RBI, Ryan Perkins 2-1B

Butler BlueSox (1-1): Stephen Sada 1B, Ryan Uhl 2-1B RBI, Russell Clark 1B, Collin Massanelli 1B

Today: West Virginia at BlueSox