Howard, Mansker Lead Lincoln-Way West to 7-0 Shutout Over Crescent

A fast start at the plate and a masterful combined pitching performance paved the way for the Lincoln-Way West varsity baseball team on Monday, as the Warriors cruised to a 7-0 non-conference victory over Crescent (SC) in neutral-site action.

Lincoln-Way West wasted no time setting the tone, overwhelming Crescent with a pair of three-run rallies in the opening frames. The Warriors pushed three runs across in the bottom of the first inning to take immediate control, then mirrored that production in the second inning to build a commanding 6-0 advantage.

Jackson Mansker was the offensive catalyst for Lincoln-Way West, putting together a flawless afternoon at the plate. Mansker finished 1-for-1 with a triple, drew two walks, executed a sacrifice fly, drove in three runs, and scored twice. He was backed by multi-hit performances from Carson Paulas and Quinten Lange, who each tallied two hits to keep the lineup moving. Michael Pettit also wreaked havoc from the top of the order, reaching base three times with a hit and two walks while scoring twice.

With a comfortable lead established early, the Lincoln-Way West pitching staff went to work. Starting pitcher Jacob Howard was brilliant on the mound, tossing four shutout innings to earn the victory. Howard allowed just a single hit, walked two, and struck out five to completely silence the Crescent lineup.

Owen Chudzinski took over in relief to start the fifth inning and did not miss a beat. Chudzinski secured the combined shutout with three scoreless frames of his own, surrendering just one hit and striking out three.

The Warriors added a final insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning to cap the scoring. Despite committing two fielding errors, the Lincoln-Way West defense routinely backed its pitchers when it mattered most, stranding Crescent runners and ensuring the shutout remained intact.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

(Note: Innings played)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|
| Crescent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Lincoln-Way West | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 2 |

Scoring Drives

• 1st Inning: Lincoln-Way West strikes quickly, plating three runs in the bottom half to take a 3-0 lead.

• 2nd Inning: The Warriors double their advantage with another three-run surge, extending the lead to 6-0.

• 6th Inning: Lincoln-Way West tacks on a final insurance run to secure the 7-0 victory.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Lincoln-Way West: Jackson Mansker 1-1, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 SF; Carson Paulas 2-3, 2 R; Quinten Lange 2-4; Jacob Howard 1-3, 2 RBI; Michael Pettit 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB; Owen Weber 1-2, 2B.

• Crescent: (Individual stats not provided)

BASERUNNING:

• Lincoln-Way West: Michael Pettit 1 SB; Matt Oberts 1 SB.

PITCHING:

• Lincoln-Way West: Jacob Howard (W) 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; Owen Chudzinski 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.

• Crescent: (Individual stats not provided)