Improving team dynamics helped the Cardinals strengthen their playing. “We are closer, tighter and stronger,” senior outfielder, designated hitter and co-captain Michael Sera said. “We are growing together as a team and are playing the best baseball we’ve ever played as a team.”

Their recent games reflect their renewed spirit; on April 19, the boys won 12-1 against the Wallenberg Bulldogs. Sophomore catcher Andy Glickfield hit a homerun in the top of the fourth inning as sophomore pitcher Elijah Saunders pitched a perfect game into the fourth with eight strikeouts. “Like our coaches said, we don’t have any ‘superstars’ on our team, but we are very team oriented,” junior starter pitcher Nicholas Tam said. Prior to this game, the team won 18-2 against the Mission Bears on April 18.

Although the bad weather in early April put a temporary halt to the season and forced the Cardinals to make up postponed games on Mondays, they kept playing with vigor as they swung to victory. “We’ve generally been improving as the season has been progressing,” Tam said. “Our bats (offense) got hot during this streak, as our pitching and defense has generally been pretty consistent.”

Throughout this season, the boys have set a goal to keep up a consistent effort throughout the game. “We try to play a full seven innings, but we tend to ease up when we have a lead,” Sera said. “We need to play a stronger full game and follow through each inning.”

On March 17, the Cardinals suffered their first loss of the season to the Washington Eagles, but the team supported one another. “We weren’t too hard on ourselves,” Tam said. “We pick each other up.”

Senior starting shortstop, pitcher and co-captain Oscar Gates-Kent said that the third annual Florida High School Tournament over spring break in Orlando, Florida was helpful. “We played good teams out there and that made us better,” Gates-Kent said. “Plus we would be spending all our free time together and that’s where our team really started clicking.”

The week they spent together allowed them to develop stronger friendships. After Florida, the boys made a comeback as they entered an eight game winning streak in the AAA league.

Come support the Cardinals as they confront an arch-rival once more before they head to the playoffs today at Big Rec-Graham at 3:30 p.m. against the Eagles.

A version of this article first appeared in the April 29, 2011 print edition of The Lowell.