By Dylan Hefflinger

DEFIANCE- Millbury Lake had 14 hits in a 10-1 drubbing of Archbold in a Division III district semifinal game at Booster Field in Defiance on Thursday.

The Flyers, No. 4 in the ratings, used a five-run second inning to jump in front 6-0 and cruised by the Blue Streaks to reach the district finals for the first time since a dramatic 14-11 10-inning loss to Tinora back in 2009.

Josh Tantari overcame seven walks to get out of numerous jams in picking up the victory,

going five innings allowing four hits while striking out seven. The unsigned senior topped out at 83 mph on his fastball. Sophomore Jayce Vancena, who is 3-0 with nine saves this year, retired all six batters he faced to finish up.

Tantari, who had two singles and a double while scoring three runs and driving in three more from the lead-off spot in the order, crossed home first in the game on a Corey Hotmer single in the first inning.

A two-run bases loaded double by Tantari ignited a five-run second for Lake, with Casey Conine adding an RBI single and Ryan Kohlhofer a run-scoring double to knock out Archbold starting pitcher Tyson Dietrich. The 6-4 junior right-hander was a consistent 87 on his fastball.

Hotmer, the Lake clean-up hitter, brought in Conine with a squeeze bunt for the fifth run of the second.

Conine, a 5-7 senior second baseman, added a two-run double in the fourth with Vancena, who is hitting a team-high .368, contributing a single to plate Conine with the third run of the frame.

Hotmer drove in the final Lake run with a double to score Kohlhofer in the sixth.

Archbold (16-13) could only muster four hits in the game, scoring its only run in the fourth on singles by Zach Driver and sophomore Tyson Schnitkey and walks to Dylan Wyse and Michael Walker.

Millbury Lake (23-5) will take on Otsego, a 7-6 winner over Metamora Evergreen, in Thursday's second game, in Saturday's 7:00 p.m. district finals.