The Lincoln Lancers will head out to challenge the Kennedy Commanders at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Kennedy will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Lincoln extended their winning streak to four on Tuesday. Everything went the Lancers' way against Manual as they made off with a 10-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Lancers, who have now won ten contests by nine runs or more so far this season.
Gio Castro was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one RBI.
Sam Trujillo
| 04/26/25 vs DSST: Montview | 4 |
| 04/08/25 vs Denver West | 4 |
| 04/29/25 vs Manual | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Bruce Randolph | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs Englewood | 3 |
| + 11 more games |
In other batting news, Sam Trujillo was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and three runs. He is becoming a predictor of Lincoln's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 11-2 (and 1-3 when he doesn't). Carlos Gonzales was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Lincoln always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .571 or higher in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Kennedy). They blew past Denver West 16-8 on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Commanders in their matchups with the Cowboys: they've now won six in a row.
Kennedy got a massive performance out of Xavier Benavidez, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three stolen bases, and four runs. That home run was Benavidez's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Damian Ortiz, who went 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI.
Lincoln pushed their record up to 12-5 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Kennedy, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lincoln has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .526. However, it's not like Kennedy struggles in that department as they've averaged .524. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lincoln came out on top in a nail-biter against Kennedy in their previous meeting last Tuesday, sneaking past 2-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lancers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
