Baseball has been a staple in Mike Grasso’s life, and last Saturday marked another milestone in the extensive coaching career of the Bethlehem Catholic mainstay.

Grasso coached his 900th baseball game in the Hawks 8-7 victory Saturday afternoon over Nazareth.

The Hawks (3-2) scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull out the win, giving them their third straight victory following an 0-2 start.

Saturday’s win was obviously more important to Grasso than celebrating a milestone, but the feat demonstrates how much dedication he’s given to Becahi baseball.

Grasso’s 900th game includes both JV and varsity baseball, where his varsity record now stands at 361-270 over 43 years. Throw in the fact that he coached soccer for 20 years, football for 10 years and girls basketball for three years, Grasso has been able to touch the lives of athletes in various walks of life.

“I’ve been so blessed and fortunate to be able to do this for so long,” Grasso said. “I’ve never missed a game and I just look back and remember all the good times.

“But I was more happy about beating Nazareth. That was the most important thing for us.”

The Hawks needed Saturday’s victory because they head into a tough week of action with Stroudsburg (3-3), Freedom (6-2) and Easton (3-1) on tap.

Those three games could be vital for the Hawks direction the rest of the season.

“I feel like it will determine if we’re going to do more than make a run at districts,” said Grasso of this stretch. “If we want to have a shot at the league playoffs, this will be an important week for us.”

After struggling to score in their first two games of the season against Parkland and Liberty, the Hawks have now scored 33 runs over their last three games.

Javon Clements had three RBIs in the win over Nazareth, as Grasso feels things are starting to come full circle the team.

“Our defense and pitching have been good for us this year,” he said. “Our bats are moving now and I feel like we’re playing with a lot of momentum.”