LANCASTER — A little less than two weeks ago on April 23, the Lancaster baseball team lost 6-2 in a lackluster performance against Pickerington North.

The Golden Gales struggled in all facets of the game on that Saturday afternoon, and at that point it seemed almost as if they were at a crossroads. Were they going to start playing up to their potential, and more importantly, their expectations and the standard the program had set, coming off three consecutive Ohio Capital Conference championships and three straight Central District titles, or were they just going to settle for being average ?

“You never want to lose a game but losing a league game against Reynoldsburg and then turn around and lose a couple of days later against Pickerington North, that was a real eye-opener and showed that not everyone is just going to walk out here and let us beat them,” Lancaster senior Dom Bornino said. “It made us all realize, especially the seniors, this is our last chance together and we want to go out with a bang, so we knew we had to pick it up.”

The Gales, ranked no. 11 in the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Division I poll, have certainly done that. Since the loss to the Panthers, Lancaster has looked like a different team.

On Monday, Bornino was stellar on the mound and Lancaster banged out 17 hits in a 10-0, six-inning Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division win over visiting Central Crossing at Beavers Field.

It was the Gales’ fifth consecutive win since their dismal performance against Pickerington North.

“The Pickerington North game, that was definitely not some of our best performances, coaches included, so for us to regroup a little bit, I’m just really proud of these guys because they kept working hard, kept believing and kept trusting,” Lancaster coach Corey Conn said. “After that loss, they had great practices. I’m proud of our senior leaders for helping lead the way. They were challenged a little bit after that game, and I love the way they responded.”

Everything has clicked since then, especially at the plate. The Gales, who improved to 14-3 overall and remain in first place in the league with a 9-2 mark, finished with 17 hits against Central Crossing, including eight extra base hits.

Senior Riley Poston led the way by going 3-for-3, and all three hits were doubles. He had three RBI and scored two runs. This, after he went 4-for-4 with four RBI in the Gales’ last game.

Tony Falvo went 3-for-4 with a double and Ajay Locke was 3-for-4 with a double. Lead off batter Isaac Cooperrider also went 3-for-4. Mason Henson had a triple, Bornino doubled, and Keegan Montgomery had a hit and two RBI.

“We were really close to putting it all together and we were winning some games early,” Conn said. “We felt like we had some good at bats but felt like we could have better approaches. We kept plugging away and plugging away and these guys kept practicing hard and they kept showing up each day trying to get better, and I knew it was only a matter of time before things started clicking for us.”

The Gales jumped out to a fast start against the Comets by plating five runs on five hits with Poston delivering the big blow with a two-run double and Henson tripled home a run. Falvo hit a one-our double in the second inning and eventually scored to give the Gales a 6-0 lead.

It stayed that way until the sixth inning when Lancaster scored four runs on five hits. Montgomery had an RBI single, Poston hit another double to knock in a run, Alex Miller hit sacrifice fly to score a run and Locke’s RBI single ended it.

Bornino scattered six hits in pitching the complete-game shutout and finished with four strikeouts. Lancaster’s defense was outstanding, turning two double plays and Poston made a nice running catch in the outfield to keep the Comets at bay.

“Everything was working in my last start and it carried over to this game,” Bornino said. “Today, I felt like I could throw any pitch for a strike, which is good for a pitcher because if you only rely on a fastball it is going to get hit. I just try to pitch with confidence every time I step on the mound, and when your teammates give you a five-run cushion in the first inning, that’s huge because you can relax a little bit and just focus on throwing strikes.”

Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on Twitter @twil2323.