The big hit eluded the Butler BlueSox.

Butler stranded 10 runners on base, including the potential winning run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth inning and the potential tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the 10th in a 2-1 loss to West Virginia at Pullman Park Thursday night.

“Their pitchers threw well,” said Butler manager Anthony Rebyanski. “We just couldn’t capitalize. We just couldn’t get it done.”

Part of the problem was strikeouts.

Matt Berezo led off the 10th with a double, but stayed there after West Virginia closer Jesse Fernandez struck out the next three batters to end the game.

The BlueSox struck out nine times against three Miners’ pitchers, several looking.

“We tried to stress to our guys to be aggressive with two strikes,” Rebyanski said. “I’d rather see our guys go down swinging.”

Butler starting pitcher Brad Duffy got off to an auspicious beginning in the top of the first inning, loading the bases with no one out.

But the right-hander from Mercyhurst College got a strikeout and a double play to escape.

West Virginia did get a run off Duffy in the second inning. Blake Roberts led off with a triple and scored on a groundout by Paul Rambaud.

After that, Duffy was brilliant. He gave up just the one run on five hits in eight innings and got a no-decision.

“Duffy did a great job. That’s a good pitcher right there,” said Miners manager Tim Epling. “He throws that splitter and slider and he’s up and down, in and out. He’s tough.”

West Virginia starter Hank Williams Jr. put a tear in the BlueSox beer in his seven shutout innings.

The right-hander, who shares his name with the country music crooner famous for his Monday Night Football theme, gave up just three hits and struck out three.

Butler, though, tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning against side-arming lefty Matt Longfield on a groundout off the bat of Taylor Juran that scored Berezo from third.

The Miners, though, tacked on a run in the 10th with an RBI single by Joe Koch.

Butler left two runners on base in each of the eighth and ninth innings.

Notes: The game was the 100th this season at Pullman Park. ... Freeport graduate and Coastal Carolina freshman Ryan Siegel went 1-for-4 with a single. He also made a running stab of a fly ball to the right-field gap. ... Butler’s team batting average dipped to .215. West Virginia is batting just .203.

West Virginia 010 000 000 1 — 2 7 1Butler 000 000 010 — 1 4 1W: Jesse Fernandez 1.1 IP (3 K, 0 BB).

L: Brian Thompson 2 IP (2 K, 1 BB).

West Virginia (5-2): Joe Koch 2-1B RBI, Blake Roberts 3B 1B

Butler (3-4): Matt Berezo 2B, Taylor Juran 2B RBI

Today: Lorain County at BlueSox, 6:35 p.m.