By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

MILLBURY — Jay Blazevich notched a three-inning save for the Lake baseball team on Monday while also knocking in a pair of runs to help the Flyers pick up a 5-4 home win over Genoa.

“I thought that we had some really good and some really bad (moments), but to get the win I was really happy with way we buckled down and competed the last couple innings,” Lake coach Casey Witt said.

Lake (13-1, 4-1 NBC), which suffered its first loss of the season on Friday at Maumee, moved back into a tie for first place in the NBC with Monday’s victory as Eastwood fell to Otsego.

“It got us a little mad that we lost,” Blazevich said. “It felt really nice to bounce back and come out with a dub.”

The Flyers built a 5-1 lead against the Comets with a pair of runs in the first and three more in the third.

In the opening frame, Gavin Kohlhofer and Drew Tajblik set the table for the duo of Blazevich and Ryan Wagner, who delivered back-to-back RBI groundouts.

Blazevich got the rally started in the third with an RBI single before scoring on a double steal two batters later. Aiden Young then finished off the frame with an RBI single on a line drive to center.

Tajblik started on the mound for Lake, allowing three hits and three walks with five strikeouts over four innings.

His departure to open the fifth, however, led to a rude greeting for Blazevich in relief as the Comets rallied for three runs.

Genoa registered a double and a single to open the frame before JJ Hartman and Jagger Magnone delivered back-to-back RBI hits to highlight the offensive outburst, pulling the Comets within one.

Blazevich, however, responded with a 1-2-3 sixth inning before stranding a pair in the seventh as Lake produced its 13th victory of the campaign.

“I thought Genoa came out and really competed and put us on our heels,” Witt said. “Our guys, after figuratively getting punched in the mouth, did a really good job of responding those last couple innings finish the game.”

After allowing a three-run third, the Comet pitching staff settled down and retired eight of the next nine batters.

Lake almost added an insurance run in the sixth as Connor Eck singled with two outs before Korbin Adkins stroked a line drive double to right center. On the play, however, Eck was thrown out at home.

“We threw strikes on the mound,” Witt said. “I didn’t love the approach we had in the box. That’s something that a good day in practice tomorrow will be able to address but for the most part we fielded the ball pretty well. It’s just the approach wasn’t where we needed it to be, and that’s been addressed. We’ll move forward and be better on Wednesday.”

Tajblik finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs while Blazevich was 1-for-3 with a run and two knocked in. The duo also stole two bases apiece as the Flyers had seven as a team.

Lake is scheduled to hit the road for games against Fostoria and Elmwood on Wednesday and Thursday.