LOCKPORT — If someone asks you to describe the 2012 Lockport baseball Lions, just say, “slow start, big finish.”

The blue and gold “9” shook off a 3-0 first-inning deficit like an afternoon yawn, got their bats going and bounced back to   tame the visiting West Seneca West Indians, 9-4, at sunny Outwater Park, in a Section VI Class AA pre-quarterfinal contest.

With the win, head coach Steve Styrzo’s No. 5-seeded Lions (14-5) advance to play at No. 4 Orchard Park at 5 p.m. Thursday   in a AA quarterfinal. The winner of that advances to Tuesday’s class semifinal.

You couldn’t have asked for a worse start for the large contingent of Lions fans on hand as two straight infield errors set   the stage for Kevin Hanley’s two-run double. Hanley later scored on a ground out as the Indians took an early 3-0 lead.

But as they’ve done all season, the confident Lions roared back immediately, plating two runs in their half of the first.

Sophomore designated lead-off hitter Colin Dougherty (3-for-4, triple, double, 2 RBIs) singled up the middle, then advanced   to second when Rob Arlington (2-for-2, double, RBI) walked.

That set the stage for Chuck Sobieraski’s double to deep left center that plated Dougherty. Arlington advanced to third on   the blast, then later scored on senior Nate Schneider’s sacrifice fly to center field.

“I was waiting for him to throw me that same curve. I sat back, then I turned on it,” said the sophomore third baseman Sobieraski,   who reached base four straight times with a double, two singles, a walk, a run scored and an RBI. “We always seem to start   slow. I just think sometimes it takes a while for us to get going.”

No. 12-seeded West upped its lead to 4-2 in the second. Losing pitcher Zach Marshall walked and later scored on an infield   error.

Once again, the Lions responded with a big inning, plating five runs, all with two outs, to take a 7-4 lead.  Winning pitcher   Casey Domski (4 2/3 innings, 6 strikeouts) beat out an infield single, then moved to second on the first of four wild pitches   in the inning thrown by Marshall.

Dougherty promptly stepped up the plate with two outs and ripped a double to left center that scored Domski.

“Coach keeps telling me to be aggressive at the plate and I’ve been seeing the ball well,” Dougherty said.

Arlington and Sobieraski drew walks to load the bases, then Dougherty raced home on a wild pitch and Arlington and Sobieraski   advanced to second and third. Schneider followed with a two-run double to plate Arlington and Sobieraski, then later scored   on consecutive wild pitches to make it 7-4 Lions.

Domski walked three batters to load the bases in the top of the third, but he also struck out the side to get out of that   jam.

The Lions plated its final two runs in the third, again with two outs. Shortstop Kyle Covell was hit by a pitch, the Dougherty   smacked a fly ball in No Man’s Land behind the third baseman in left.

The ball dropped as three Indians converged on it too late. Covell alertly raced around to score and when the smoke cleared,   Dougherty was standing on third with an RBI triple. Arlington followed with an RBI double over the center fielder’s head to   round out the LHS scoring.

“We hit the ball right out of the gate today and Casey did a great job for us,” Styrzo said. “We took advantage of passed   balls and we hit the ball well again.”

Domski was relieved by Brad Wroblewski in the fifth and the southpaw did an outstanding job, fanning four in two and a third   innings of work and allowing just one hit.

“It was a tough game, especially early on. I feel I let my teammates down today,” Marshall said. “But we’ll be seniors next   year and this year, we improved upon winning just one game the year before, so there’s definitely things to look forward to   in the future at West.”

• CLASS B-2 QUARTERFINALS

3-Roy-Hart 11, 6-Akron 2

GASPORT — Ryan Metz had two hits including a home run and drove in four runs for the victorious Rams.

Also for the winners, Austin Heschke tripled and doubled with two RBIs and Zach Yates added a clutch, bases-loaded single   in the fifth inning to power Roy-Hart past its Niagara-Orleans League foe Akron.

6-Wilson 9, 3-JFK 8 (13)

CHEEKTOWAGA — Taylor Thilk drove in the game-winning run in the top of the 13th inning as the No. 6 Lakemen came out on top   in Tuesday’s marathon Class B-2 quarterfinal.

Taylor Strassburg had a team-high four hits and five RBIs for Wilson and Pat Diez added three hits.