To add to its eight-game win streak, the varsity baseball team beat Grant 8-5 on April 23, giving the Cardinals a three-game shutout against the Generals.

The team is currently 13-5 overall, making it the best team in the PIL in front of Madison (10-6 overall).  “We prepare by demanding excellence at practice; our guys come to practice ready to work,” head coach C.J. Watson said. “We have high energy practices that put the guys in pressure situations.”

Standout performances include Nate Ostmo, who led the way with five innings pitched in the first Grant contest April 20, only giving up one infield hit and striking out eight. Closer Jake Wilk threw the last two frames of the game, and ended with a strike out.

“Lincoln already has a target on our back, the streak just makes the other PIL teams want to beat us that much more,” senior varsity player Dante Piacente said. “All that matters is the next game.”

“We just have to execute the team game, throw strikes and keep up our solid defense. If we do those, the Grant series should be no problem,” Piacente said before the April 23 game.

There weren’t any changes in the team’s plan for the third and final encounter with Grant. “Our pitchers will come out and throw strikes, our guys will take care of the baseball and defend, and our hitters will execute the team game,“ Watson said. “I love our guys and I think this team has a chance to be special. This is my first year in the Grant/Lincoln rivalry and I couldn’t be more excited.”