Moose played big Thursday.
But Genoa had a two-run lead disappear in the fifth inning and couldn't get to Fairview relief pitcher Ryan Radcliff in a 5-4 setback in a Division III district opener.
The Comets' Matt Bassitt, who teammates call Moose, singled and scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, and doubled off the wall in left-center to drive in Zack Apel and Justin Lau with two outs in the third.
Lau, who suffered the loss on the mound as Chase Rhonehouse doubled to drive in a run in the sixth, hustled to prevent a double play and allow Bassitt to hit in the third.
Bassitt committed an error in the first that contributed to a jam that Genoa (16-11) starting pitcher Connor Wendt was able to work out of unscathed. Fairview (19-2) had runners on second and third with two outs but Wendt got Kyle Etchen to line out to center.
"He's a competitor,"
Comets coach Dan Thompson said of Bassitt. "You're going to make mistakes and you have to have the mental fortitude to come back. He's one of the biggest competitors on the team."
Genoa added a run for a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth as Callan Bialorucki singled and scored on an error.
Travis Wiles hit solo home runs in the second and fourth for Fairview. Radcliff doubled to drive in a run and Ross Joost singled to knock in Radcliff to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth.
Genoa turned a 6-4-3 double play to prevent at least one more run from scoring in the fifth.
"He was killing the ball (Thursday),"
Radcliff said of Wiles. "He gave us a huge boost. Without (Wiles) we wouldn't (have advanced)."
Radcliff came in to start the fifth and finished the game by retiring six of the 10 batters he faced via strikeout for the win. He fanned the fourth, fifth and sixth batters in Genoa's lineup in the fifth.
"He's got a good arm,"
Thompson said. "He's a solid ballplayer. You could see that with the way he composes himself -- he's a class kid. He's got a rocket for a right arm."
Radcliff, who will play football at Central Michigan, said he simply tries to hit his spots and trust the defense behind him. He did not allow a hit in three innings.
"I didn't want (Thursday) to be my last game,"
he said.
Wendt struck out seven and walked one while allowing seven hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings. He threw a fastball, splitter and curve.
"I thought he was in command from the beginning,"
Thompson said. "He threw hard and he changed speeds. (Catcher) Justin (Adkins) called a great game. Connor made two mistakes and they hit them out."
Bassitt and Wendt are only sophomores but have already been to two district openers as varsity players. Genoa fell to Delta 3-2 last season.
"We gained a lot of valuable experience,"
Thompson said. "They got a taste of districts and they know they can compete against the top programs. They left it on the field and hopefully we'll be better next year."
The game ended as an overly aggressive Adkins forced Lau to run into an out at third base after each drew a walk.
"I felt we gave them too many opportunities,"
Thompson said. "We didn't make some plays at crucial times. They battled and put the ball in play."
