The Baldwin wrestling team won its first match of the season on Wednesday, coming up with a 44-38 victory over Mt. Lebanon.

Sophomore Ramil Islamov, who pinned his opponent in the 127-pound class, thought the team performed well.

“We did a good job at getting pins in our matches. That really helped with our score,” Islamov said.

Islamov credited the win to sophomore Garrett Gusten, who wrestled in the last match of the competition.

“The competition really came down to Garrett’s match. His pin was the reason we won,” Islamov said.

Islamov said junior Owen Klodowski and Keith Mincin also had strong performances.

Gusten, who won his match in the 215-pound class, felt good about playing a part in the team’s victory.

“It feels really good to win, and I think that we have a good chance at making the playoffs,” Gusten said. “Knowing that we beat (Lebo) gives us better confidence going forward. I feel like we have a lot of opportunities for the rest of the season.”

Islamov agreed, saying the win will help to set the tone for the rest of the team’s season.

“This win will help to give us confidence going forward in the season. It also helps let us know how to improve,” Islamov said.

Despite the positive result, Islamov still believes the team could do better.

“The team needs to work on conditioning. Many of us need to get in better shape to compete,” Islamov said.

The team’s next competition will be a tournament Dec. 27-28 at the Southmoreland Holiday Classic.