Baseball Recap: Grant Park Takes a Loss

Grant Park had lost three straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 5-7 to make it four. They came up short against the Watseka Warriors, falling 17-5. The Dragons were not able to make up for their defeat to the Warriors from their previous meeting back in April of 2024.

Dean Malkowski

Runs

04/24/25 @ Watseka	2
03/27/25 vs Illinois Lutheran	2
03/24/25 @ Illinois Lutheran	2
04/18/25 vs Momence	1
04/16/25 @ Cissna Park	1
+ 1 more games

Dean Malkowski made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Grant Park: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-6 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Nolan Olthoff, who earned one run and two stolen bases.

As for Watseka, with the victory, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 2-9. Their offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last three games.

On Watseka's side, Quinn Starkey was a standout: he went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those three runs gave Starkey a new career-high. Another player making a difference was James Newell, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.

Looking ahead, Grant Park will square off against Peotone at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Watseka, they will face off against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.