With the slimmest of leads, Butler turned the game over to its bullpen.

And it was lights out on Champion City.

Three BlueSox relievers — all from Kent State University — shut the Kings out while not allowing a hit over the final four innings, preserving for Butler a 4-3 victory Friday night at Kelly Automotive Park.

Zach Spangler, a Seneca Valley High School graduate, struck out two batters in the ninth and earned the save in his team’s first win of the season.

He was preceded out of the bullpen by Eli Martin (2.1 innings) and Tim Faix (.2 innings). The trio combined to strike out eight batters and did not issue a walk.

“It was an excellent job out of the bullpen,” said Butler manager Jason Radwan. “Those guys came in, threw a ton of strikes and shut the door. All three had good seasons at Kent State and we figured they would be good.”

The top of the sixth began with Butler holding a 4-1 lead, but starter and eventual winning pitcher Jon Anderson walked Eric Peterson on four pitches. He then surrendered a two-run home run over the right-field fence to Ridge Winand and suddenly, Butler’s lead was trimmed to 4-3.

That’s when Radwan called on Martin, who struck out the side in the sixth and set the Kings down in order in the seventh.

“Eli came in in a big situation and came up with some huge strikeouts for us,” said Radwan.

Martin fanned Peterson to begin the eighth, the former’s fifth strikeout in the game, before southpaw Faix was brought in to face the left-handed hitting Winand. Faix struck him out and retired Lee Sponseller.

Spangler, who tallied a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings pitched to help Kent State to a record of 31-22, is used to relieving, but not as a closer.

“I was mostly a set-up guy this spring,” he said of his role with the Golden Flashes. “I ignore the score when I’m in the game and just go after the hitters.”

With two outs in the ninth, Spangler allowed the potential tying run to reach base when he hit John Goodrich with a pitch. But moments later, he fanned Cale Dineen for the final out.

“I have a two-seam fastball that acts more like a sinker,” Spangler said. “It has a lot of bite to it and they were going after it.”

Butler found itself down early after Jordan McDonough’s RBI-single in the top of the first inning.

But the BlueSox’s bats, which were held to just an infield single in an 8-3 loss to the Kings here Thursday, fared much better against Champion City’s starter on Friday, Evan DeCovich.

Mitch Machi’s sacrifice fly plated Tyler Sullivan to tie the game in the bottom of the second. Then in the third, Matt Hansen followed Mark DeVita’s single with a run-scoring double. David Marcus added an RBI-single later in the frame and scored himself on a throwing error for a 4-1 edge.

DeCovich lasted through the sixth inning, but Butler tallied nine of its 10 hits off of the right-hander.

“It seemed like we were just trying to make contact (in Thursday’s loss),” said Radwan. “But tonight, we were driving the ball. The guys showed up early today and we worked on some things with their swings.”

Champion City 100 002 000 — 3 3 3

Butler 013 000 00x — 4 10 2

W: Jon Anderson 5+ IP (4K, 2BB). L: Evan DeCovich 6 IP (5K, 1BB). S: Zach Spangler 1 IP (2K, 0BB).

Champion City (2-1): Eric Peterson 2R, Ridge Winand HR 2RBI, Lee Sponseller 1B, Jordan McDonough 1B RBI

Butler (1-2): Matt Hansen 1B 2B R RBI, Alex Miklos 2-1B, Ty White 1B, David Marcus 2-1B R RBI, Tyler Sullivan 2-1B R, Mitch Machi RBI, Mark DeVita 1B R

Saturday: Butler at Chillicothe