By Kip Kovar
Contributing Writer
GREEN ISLE – There’s nothing Young America’s Josh Lenz loves more than being on the mound with the ball in his hand in the biggest spot. The ace for the Cardinals, Lenz showed why he’s still one of the top pitchers in the state.
After two years in Class B and coming off Tommy John Surgery in 2021, Lenz returned to the bright lights of the Class C state tournament alongside the Cardinals leading them to a 4-2 win over the Raymond Rockets Friday night at Irish Yard in Green Isle.
“It’s a good feeling,” Lenz said. “This is where we want to be. We want to play these games in these moments and now we’ll just try and keep it rolling.”
Things never came easy for Young America but it found a way just like it has all season long. In games decided by two runs or less, the Cardinals are a 9-1 on the season and the win over the Rockets gave them their 27th win in a row.
“I think we’ve grown up a lot to be honest,” Lenz said about what makes them so good in close games. “It just seems like we can rally around something. We just know whatever happens we can rally together.”
After taking advantage of four walks in an inning to take an early lead, the Cardinals added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, it was Blake Pistulka delivering out of the No. 9 spot with an RBI double to extend the lead to 2-0.
“If you’ve been following the Cards, you know Blake comes through,” Lenz said. “He puts a good at-bat together and battles for us and the majority of the time he’s going to come through for us.”
In the top of the seventh, Raymond battled back. After Lenz gave the Rockets a pair of base runners with two walks, Raymond cut the deficit to one on an error. Still with runners on first and third, that’s all the Rockets would get as Lenz delivered two of the biggest strikeouts of the game to keep the Cardinals in front.
“It’s a big moment,” Lenz said who’s been through a lot of the years. “It’s been a grind. It’s good to be back for sure.”
After Lenz kept Young America in front, the Cardinals wasted no time in getting that run back. Alex Logelin led off the inning with a single. With two outs, Roch Whittaker delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to put Young America up 3-1.
Raymond refused to go away quietly in the top of the eighth. After closing the gap to one on an error, Young America turned things over to Dillon Whittaker and Plato draftee Reece Schwirtz to close the door and secure its spot in the Sweet 16 on Labor Day weekend.
With the win, Young America advances to play the winner of Clinton and Union Hill. It’s the first Labor Day weekend appearance for the Cardinals since 2021 after playing in Class B the past two seasons.
