Grant speaks up, then downs Wauconda

With their 13-game winning streak long gone, Grant's baseball players sought to change their luck again.

So they meet with each other, privately.

"We knew that everyone, deep down, had something to say," shortstop Matt Mason said. "We knew that if we organized a players-only meeting then everyone could say what they did. By the end of the meeting, we all felt pretty confident that we'd start turning things around."

So far, Mason added, so good.

Grant completed a home-and-home sweep of Wauconda by capturing a 9-5 win in Fox Lake on Wednesday. After losing four of five, Grant (17-6, 6-0) has won two straight. The Bulldogs picked a good time to get hot again, as Wauconda had been undefeated in the division. And, next week, Grant plays Lakes, which is also undefeated in the NSC Prairie.

Grant's players got together last week and then lost to Libertyville, but played well for most of the game.

"Really after that (players-only meeting), we picked it up and played as a team," Mason said. "We played good defense, had good pitching and started hitting the ball better."

"We had to turn it around," right fielder Spencer Lhotka said. "Everyone had a say."

Mason and Lhotka played big roles in Grant knocking off Wauconda (8-10, 4-2) for the second day in a row. Leadoff-hitter Mason went 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Lhotka, batting in the No. 2 hole, was 3-for-3 with 3 runs scored and 3 stolen bases. His two-out, 2-run single in the fifth extended the hosts' lead to 8-4.

"When we get on, we get hit around by the middle of our order," Mason said.

"All we got to do is get on base," Lhotka added, "and we'll score."

Grant's Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, James Pendley and Eddie Kusiak, took advantage of Mason and Lhotka continually getting on base. Kusiak (3-for-4) had 2-run singles in both the first and second innings. Pendley (1-for-2, 2 walks) singled in Mason and Lhotka in the fourth to snap a 4-4 tie.

"We're flexible," Grant coach Dave Behm said of his lineup. "We have some good bunters, and we have some guys with power that can hit. We can do it all."

Grant pounded out 14 hits, with Ricky Allen (double) accounting for the only extra-base hit on a chilly day. Michael Bengston was 2-for-3. Grant knocked out Wauconda lefty starter Kyle Harmon in the fourth after collecting 9 hits and 3 walks.

"He wasn't as sharp with his pitches as he has been," Wauconda coach Bill Sliker said of Harmon. "His pitch count was up (60-plus) already after three innings. It seemed like he had thrown more pitches in three innings than he had in a couple of starts."

Luke Weller was 3-for-3 with a 2-run single for Wauconda, while Harmon went 2-for-4 with a double. The visitors had early leads of 2-0 and 4-2 against Grant starter and winner Matt Spooner (2-1), who along with Mason helped arrange the players-only meeting.

Wauconda put up 2 runs in each of the first two innings. Each time, Grant answered with 2-spots of its own.

"They hit the ball," Sliker said of Grant's Bulldogs. "We didn't. We had a good start, but then we couldn't stop them from scoring."