By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

MILLBURY — The Lake baseball team exploded for a six-run outburst in the fifth inning on Friday to produce a 7-2 league win over Rossford.

With the victory, Lake created a bit of separation atop the Northern Buckeye Conference standings. Not only are the Flyers (15-2, 6-1) are still tied atop the standings in the loss column with Eastwood (12-1, 5-1), every other team is now at least two games back of them, including Rossford (7-5, 3-3).

“I’m so proud of the way our guys competed,” Lake coach Casey Witt said. “They made some adjustments from last night after losing a tough one (1-0 at Elmwood). I just thought we stayed the course, and I am really proud of them for that.”

In the crucial inning, the Flyers laid down four bunts, utilizing just two hits out of the infield to produce six runs. Down one entering the frame, pinch-runner Jaxson Rymers scored the game-tying run on an error after Connor Eck laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Three batters later, with runners on second and third following a double from Gavin Kohlhofer, Drew Tajblik laid down a bunt, and Eck beat the throw home for a 3-2 lead.

“We played well for four and a half,” Rossford coach Marc Diels said. “We just talked about it before the game, about doing the simple well, and for one half inning we didn’t do simple well. Lake took advantage of it and put six on the board.”

The Flyers added three more runs on singles of a different variety as Jay Blazevich laid down a bunt single, Ryan Wagner had an infield single to short and Jack Sobczak roped a line drive to center for a 7-2 lead.

“I thought that we played small ball and used our speed and aggressiveness on the bases as an advantage to really put some pressure on the defense and it showed,” Witt said.

Rossford took a 2-0 lead earlier in the game as Nick Taddonio tallied RBI singles in the first and third innings against Tajblik, who went the distance for Lake.

In the fourth inning, Lake produced their first run when Kohlhofer singled to left to lead off before stealing second and third to set up an RBI single to left from Blazevich.

“I just think we pressed,” Diels said. “We tried to make the simple things too complicated. All we had to do was catch and throw, and we didn’t do that very well.”

Kohlhofer, Blazevich, Wagner and Eck each produced a pair of hits with at least one run apiece for Lake. Kohlhofer led the team with two runs scored out of the leadoff spot.

Taddonio led the Bulldogs with a 3-for-4, two-RBI performance while Kaden Kirkman went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs.

Tajblik picked up the win for Lake, allowing eight hits and two runs (one earned) with nine strikeouts.

“I think that’s the unique thing with Drew,” Witt said. “It wasn’t his best outing and he still only gave up two. He’s a workhorse on the mound that we can rely on. We feel that every time he takes the ball that we’re going to have a chance to win the game.”