Ichabods split with MSSU, take 3 of 4 over the weekend
April 22, 2006
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Season Stats

TOPEKA – The Ichabods rolled to a 5-1 win in the first game against Missouri Southern behind a strong outing from Jeff LaCerte and then gave up the lead and lost the second game 5-4 Sunday afternoon at Falley Field. Washburn (26-17, 14-6 MIAA) will play a doubleheader at Missouri Western Wednesday starting at 3 p.m.

After giving up the lead to the Lions in the opening frame for the third straight time, Washburn came back in the bottom of the first to take the lead, also for the third straight time. Mark Stoltz and Jessie Schmidt hit back-to-back singles and then Michael Hammersmith tripled them in. The Ichabods got two more in the third. Luke Manners led off with a single and them Stoltz hit him in with a triple. Schmidt then grounded out to third, allowing Stoltz to score.

LaCerte allowed eight hits, no walks and just the first-inning run. He struck out two. He got one more insurance run in the sixth when Sam Sissom drove in Tommy Mangino and then he pitched the seventh inning to get the complete game win.

In the second game Randy Wild took a perfect game into the sixth until a batter reached on an error to lead off. After getting through two outs in the inning Wild gave up his first hit of the game, a single to rightfield.

Washburn had built a 3-0 lead while Wild flirted with a no-hitter but Missouri Southern stormed back after finally breaking through. In the seventh inning the Lions scored three runs to tie the game and then two more in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead.

Washburn cut it to one in the bottom of the eighth when Schmidt drove in Iversen on a sacrifice fly. That was all WU could get as the Lions held on to take the final game of the four-game series and avoid a sweep.

Mangino and Chris Atkins both had RBI in the second inning and Luke Manners drove in a run in the third. Sissom was 3-for-7 on the day and moved within 11 hits of tying the school career record. He now has 215.