Staff photo / Joel Whetzel South Range’s Konnor Brogan throws a pitch Thursday against Lakeview.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP — Perhaps looking for a bit of spark in the lineup, Lakeview head coach Cam Carson opted to return centerfielder Andrew McRoberts to the leadoff role after he began the season further down the lineup.

In his first game back at the top of the order, McRoberts proved Carson right.

McRoberts supplied two critical hits, which plated three runs, as Lakeview topped South Range for a road Northeast-8 Conference victory Thursday evening, 5-4.

The senior keyed a three-run third for Lakeview (1-1, 1-1 NE-8) with a two-run double lined down the third-base line, and then in the fourth inning knocked a single to right field to drive one in that put Lakeview ahead 4-1 at the time.

“Andrew McRoberts was huge for us,” Carson said. “We just moved him back up into the leadoff spot today. It’s kind of where he was all last year. He’s comfortable there, and it was just big-time hitting in big spots.”

After nabbing that three-run lead, the Bulldogs had to fend off multiple South Range (2-1, 2-1 NE-8) threats.

In the third frame, a pair of Bulldog errors and a walk loaded the bases with one out, but Lakeview escaped the jam after turning a 1-2-3 double play on a comebacker to starting pitcher Alex Stowe.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Raiders loaded the bases and cut into the Lakeview advantage on a two-run double from Tyler Wardle that knocked Stowe out of the game, but Jason DeMonica came on in relief and retired the side with two flyouts. On the second of those, a Raider baserunner attempted to tag up and score, but was caught at the plate.

That set the stage for a frustrating day for South Range in which it consistently applied pressure, largely by drawing walks and hit-by-pitches, but stranded 10 runners.

“(Lakeview) took advantage of some opportunities they had early, and then we have the inning where we fight back, we get two runs across, we have second and third, one out and we got our lead runner hung up. The inning prior, (it goes) back to the pitcher a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning. I think it hurt us. I think we put ourselves in position to have a big inning, they made a play and took that away from us,” South Range coach Jim Hanek said.

Still, the Raiders had their chances late.

In the bottom of the fifth, South Range had two runners on with two outs, but a strikeout ended the frame. An inning later, two Raiders reached on walks and got into scoring position with two outs on a double steal. A passed ball scored one of those, but a flyout a batter later stymied the scoring threat and left the score at 5-4.

Finally, in the bottom of the seventh, Lakeview’s Tyler Capan stranded a runner at second in a four-up, three-down inning. Capan also recorded the needed flyout the inning before.

In all, South Range, which had scored 10 runs in each of its opening two games against Jefferson Area, was kept to three hits.

“We talked about having gutsy performances on the mound and on defense,” Carson said. “I think Alex Stowe did a really nice job starting the game for us. Jason DeMonica had a nice inning for us coming in relief, and when Tyler Capan comes in, we know he’s going to bulldog it for us and always be tough on the mound. I thought he did a really nice job.”

Stowe picked up the win with three innings of work. He surrendered three runs, two earned, on three hits and four walks. He fanned two. DeMonica went two innings and held South Range hitless and had one strikeout, while Capan went 1.1 innings and had a pair of Ks.

South Range’s Konnor Brogan also went three innings, allowing four runs, all earned, on three hits and four walks. He had five strikeouts. Joey Aey went three innings, scattering four hits and allowing just one unearned run. Logan Baxter finished the game off with a three-up, three-down seventh inning.

Of Aey and Baxter settling the waters to give the Raiders a chance to rally, Hanek said, “That was huge. … I thought they threw very well considering the circumstances coming in down runs. They gave us a chance to work our way back in and have a chance to win.”

Lakeview hosts Canfield today. South Range hosts Boardman.