Lincoln tops Wheatland, captures outright PVL title

The Lincoln High School baseball team did not leave anything up for debate Thursday afternoon. After already securing a share of the Pioneer Valley League title earlier in the week, the Fighting Zebras made sure they stood alone atop the standings for the first time since 2018, riding a fast start to a 5-3 win over Wheatland in the regular season finale. Lincoln (21-3-1, 10-2 PVL) plated three runs in the first inning and added two more in the second, then leaned on its pitching staff the rest of the way to close out the league title and put a stamp on its case for the top seed in Division V. "That was the talk the last couple days," Lincoln head coach Mike Allen said of making sure to finish strong. "It would've been easy to come in and feel like we were okay with a share. But we wanted this on our own. The guys came out with energy, and it paid off." The Zebras wasted no time applying pressure, loading the bases twice in the opening frame. A fielder's choice brought home two runs, and Diego Cuevas added an RBI double to make it 3-0. Wheatland (19-8, 8-4 PVL) answered immediately, also loading the bases in the bottom half and scoring twice to cut the deficit to 3-2 after one inning. Lincoln responded right back in the second. Tyler Silva delivered an RBI single, and Dylan Knell caught the Pirates off guard and stole home to push the lead to 5-2. That cushion would be just enough, as Wheatland threatened late but was unable to take advantage of runners on base. Silva and Eli Duff led the offensive effort with three hits apiece, while Lincoln racked up 11 hits as a team. On the mound, the Zebras used a trio of arms. Torre Ridgway got the start before senior Billy Bass took over and delivered a dominant outing. Freshman Dixon Hallstrom came in to help close it out, earning the save with 2 ⅓ strong innings. Bass earned the win, entering in a jam in the first inning and throwing 4 ⅔ innings, allowing just one unearned run while striking out four. Bass was the arm that closed out the semifinal series against Woodland last season to send the Zebras through to the final. After that game, Allen said that he was a solid arm that just hadn't had his chance yet, and he has proven that this season coming through on the mound in several pivotal moments throughout the season. "He's got more velocity and better command. But his biggest area of improvement is the mentality," Allen said. "He told me, 'I want this one. I've got to have this one.' That's the kind of bulldog he is." Bass said his confidence has continued to build since last season's playoff run. "That game last year gave me a huge confidence boost, and I've been riding that into this season," he said. "I wasn't too nervous today. We'd talked about it all week. My plan was just go out there and give everything you've got." Wheatland threatened in the seventh, getting an RBI single from Hughston Rodney to make it 5-3, but Lincoln shut the door from there. The win caps a strong regular season for the Zebras, who now turn their attention to the postseason as the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division V champions and likely a top seed once brackets are released. Lincoln enters the week as the top ranked team in the section in Division V, which it knows will put an even bigger target on its back in the postseason. "We just have to keep doing the little things right and keep up the energy, the preparation, all of it," Allen said. "These guys buy in, and it's contagious."