Sophomore has big hit as Genoa tops Lake in baseball

GENOA – Sophomore Kurtis Lee is trying to prove he belongs at the varsity level for Genoa.

Lee singled to drive in Nick Wolfe and Matt Aumiller in the fifth inning Friday as the Comets defeated Lake 9-3 in the Northern Buckeyce Conference.

"I'm not going to come out and start every day, but every opportunity I'll try to do the best with it," Lee said. "The guys cheering me on make me feel like I can do it. It's special. Coming through with a big hit like that felt great."

Matt Aumiller singled to drive in Kyle Edwards with two outs just prior to Lee's hit to break a 3-3 tie.

"All I was thinking of doing was going to the opposite field," Aumiller said. "Don't try to do too much. Just advance the runner and get him in."

Aumiller broke the game open with a bases loaded double to drive in Blake Traver, Edwards and Wolfe in the sixth.

Luke Rightnowar (6-0) struck out four, walked one and hit a batter while allowing six hits and three runs in seven innings for the victory on the mound. He threw 26 pitches in the first inning but 87 for the game.

"I flushed it and forgot about it," he said. "I just threw like I usually do. I do better as the game goes on. I just let the defense make plays. Kurtis Lee … that was the biggest play of the game to change momentum."

Cody Pickard walked and scored on a single from Jake Wojciechowski in the first inning for Genoa (14-2, 6-1). Rightnowar singled and scored on a passed ball before Traver scored on an RBI from Edwards.

Rightnowar allowed two runs in the fourth on two tough-luck singles and an error and one in the fifth after a botched foul ball.

"They don't score if we play defense," Genoa coach Ron Rightnowar said. "Our lack of defensive focus cost us. You can't have a lapse defensively. We were able to overcome it."

The Comets' leadoff batter reached base four times and they scored in each inning.

"It puts tremendous pressure on the pitcher and defense," Rightnowar said. "The defense gets tight and the pitcher doesn't want two on. Everything is more stressful."

Genoa first baseman Jarod Brossia made three strong plays on defense. He knocked down a hard grounder and narrowly beat the runner to first for the final out in the fifth.

mhorn@gannett.com

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