Feeling Blue
For the second straight night, Butler found itself in a deep hole before it even picked up its bats.
Two fielding errors paved the way to four unearned runs in the top of the first inning as the BlueSox never led in a 9-5 Prospect League baseball loss to Champion City at Kelly Automotive Park Monday night.
The runs were charged to Knoch High School product Cole Shinsky, who surrendered a run-scoring single to Joe Acker and a two-run double to Nic Mertes following the miscues behind him.
“It's a little frustrating,” Shinsky said, “but that's how baseball goes. There are times when I am not pitching well and the defense makes a play to bail me out.
“We are all good ballplayers here and we're all capable of playing well. Hopefully, it starts to show more on the field. We just need to pick each other up.”
Butler entered the game with 42 errors, second only to Springfield's 45. The Sox made a total of three errors Monday.
“They're not physical errors, they're mental,” said Butler manager Cody Herald. “Sometimes, the guys are thinking too much while trying to make a play. They just need to relax and play baseball.
“We played really well at times tonight, but it's not a light switch,” added Herald. “You can't just turn it on in the middle of a game.”
Shinsky went on to face a total of seven batters while working scoreless frames in the second and third. He allowed two more runs in the fourth before walking Gehrig Anglin to start the fifth and was relieved by Sean Kealey.
“Cole remained low in the zone tonight,” said Herald. “If he continues to do that, he will give us more quality innings.”
“My off-speed stuff was there all night and I threw more strikes than I have been,” said Shinsky, who is now 0-2 on the season. “Those are the little things that you have to carry with you and hope to build on.”
The Sox (6-17) never managed enough offense to seriously threaten the Kings' lead. Butler plated single tallies in the first, fifth and sixth frames, with designated hitter Kristian Webb belting his second home run of the season, a solo shot, in the sixth.
But Champion City (7-12) scored two in the fourth and two more in the fifth off of Sox' reliever Sean Kealey and held an 8-3 edge after six frames.
Kings' starter John Schreiber was pulled after 4 2/3 innings, making him ineligible for a win despite his team holding an 8-2 lead at the time of his departure.Avery Janning came in and worked 3 1/3 innings and was credited with the win even though he allowed three runs on five hits.Kealey (three innings) and Jarod Deagan (two) both allowed a run in relief for the Sox.Webb and Jeff Wehler, who started at third base, both had two hits for Butler.Butler begins a two-game series at home tonight against East Division-leading West Virginia (17-5).Champion City 400 220 010 — 9 9 2Butler 100 011 020 — 5 9 3W: Avery Janning 3.1 IP (2K, 0BB). L: Cole Shinsky 4+ IP (1K, 4BB).Champion City (7-12): Conner Pohl 2-1B R, Joe Acker 2-1B 2R RBI, Nic Mertes 1B 2B R 2RBI, Damon Dues 2B 2R RBI, Quincy Hamilton 3B RBIButler (6-17): Kellen Sarver 1B R RBI, Jeff Wehler 2-1B R RBI, Kristian Webb 1B HR 2RBI, Mike McGee 3B RTuesday: West Virginia at Butler
