HOLMES TOWNSHIP — Coming back from a six-run deficit worked for the Wynford Royals on Wednesday. But it didn’t work on Friday.

The Genoa Comets jumped on the Royals early, taking a 5-1 lead after two innings, and increasing the lead to 7-1 by the middle of the fifth.

This time, however, the Royals couldn’t come all the way back, falling to Genoa, 9-5, in the final of the Division III sectional tournament at Schreck Field.

With the win, the Comets, who entered the tournament as the eighth seed, improved to 10-15 on the season and will face top-seeded Colonel Crawford (24-2) on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Shelby.

In the other sectional game, ninth-seeded Margaretta will face second-seeded Edison at 4 p.m.

Wynford coach Tom Smith said that his team just made too many mistakes against the Comets.

“Defensively and pitching we’re giving up too many bases, too many free runs,” Smith said. “I think we gave up four unearned right off the bat. We just never made it up tonight. That was the difference in the game.”

Genoa coach Gary Nissen said that his team has been playing very well in recent weeks.

“We’ve played really well about the last five or six games,” Nissen said. “We’ve been seeing some tough games, some one-run games and we’ve been getting some clutch hits lately that we’ve been stringing together.”

The Comets greeted Wynford starter Sam Collene with two runs in the first inning and three more in the second. Zach Harer worked three frames and Grant McGuire added two more. The three pitchers combined to permit nine hits, striking out six and walking three.

“Sam just struggled to throw strikes early in the game and Zach came in and did a really nice job,” Smith said. “They finally timed him there a little in his third inning, but he was pitching really well before that. Grant came in and was similar to Zach. He had a few more strikeouts, which looks better.”

Wynford got a run in the first off Genoa starter Will Nissen on a single from Spencer Miller and a run-scoring double from McGuire.

After Genoa scored two more on Harer in the fifth, the Royals got two in the bottom of the inning. Cody Taylor reached on an error and Miller singled. From there, Dylon Robinson knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly and Cainen Allen added a run-scoring single.

Genoa added two in the sixth to increase the lead to 9-3 before the Royals got to Genoa pitcher Seth Witt for two in the seventh.

Miller singled, McGuire walked, and Robinson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Miller and McGuire scored on an error, but Witt got three strikeouts to end the game.

“It always helps to get the lead early, that’s a big thing,” Nissen said. “It helped shutting down their running game a little bit that allows them to run. It helped us getting guys in and getting comfortable.”

Nissen, Robert Messenger, and Witt worked for the Comets and permitted nine hits while striking out six and walking three.

“All three guys did real well,” Nissen said. “Our plan today was to go with all three. I thought Will did real well today, he kept us in the ball game. Then Robert came in and gave us a couple of innings and Seth came in and finished it off.”

Smith said that the two teams were reasonably balanced.

“Genoa played well,” Smith said. “They put the ball in play, and they played good defense. Give them credit. That’s a good team.”

Wynford centerfielder Cody Taylor said that this was a fine season for the Royals.

“It was a fun season,” Taylor said. “It’s over and it is what it is. I’m not going to forget this. It was definitely a great experience.”

Despite the loss, this was a cumulation of a tough last two seasons since no one played a year ago because of COVID.

“We just wanted to prove something this year,” Taylor added. “Last year we didn’t get a chance to prove anything. I think we would have been really good last year. Proving that we were a team to beat this year is special.”

Division III sectional final

Genoa Area 9, Wynford 5

Genoa         230 022 0        9        9        1

Wynford    100 020 2        5        9        4

WP: Will Nissen (3 SO, 1 W)

LP: Sam Collene (1 SO 3 W)

HR: None.

Triples: (G) Robert Messenger.

Doubles: (G) Seth Witt; (W) Grant McGuire.

Multiple hits: (G) Grant Witt, A.J. Rabis; (W) Spencer Miller.

Records: Genoa Area 10-15; Wynford 14-13.

Next: Genoa Area vs. Colonel Crawford at Division III district semifinal at Shelby, Thursday, 2 p.m.