Sussex gets league split, but time running out
Johnson drives in seven runs in win over Blue Sox
The bottom line is simple these days for the Sussex Land O'Lakes Western Division baseball team. With three games left in the 2012 regular season, the Cardinals just about have to win out to grab one of the six playoff spots at the end of the 18-game schedule.
Sussex split a pair of games last weekend to fall to 7-8 on the season. Right now, the final two playoff spots belong to Oconomowoc (10-6) and Merton (9-6).
Sussex lost to host Oconomowoc last Saturday by a 7-3 score. The following day, the host Cardinals whipped the visiting Brookfield Blue Sox, 12-4.
In the loss to Oconomowoc, the normally dependable Sussex offense struggled all day, finishing with a season-low five hits.
Travis Thompson went all eight innings for the Cardinals, allowing 12 hits. Thompson walked two and struck out just one. Chris Fischer went 7 1/3 innings for the Five O's before Luke Nelson worked the rest of the game.
Sussex fell behind 4-0 after three innings before Sussex scored two runs in the fourth and one more in the eighth. Oconomowoc broke the game open with three more runs in the seventh.
Collecting runs batted in for Sussex were Scott Carberry, Jason Mayer and Todd Johnson.
The Sussex offense came to life the following day as in whipping the Blue Sox by eight runs.
Johnson, leading the league in hitting with a .511 mark, went a perfect 4 for 4 with two doubles and a home run. He capped off one of his best days ever in his long LOL career by driving in seven runs.
"Todd hit the ball hard all day long," said Sussex manager Cory Gasper. "He's not playing softball this year, and he's just clobbering the ball. He's hit well all season for us."
Ryan Weissman also did well, collecting two hits and two RBIs. Bryan Laabs chipped in with two hits and Seth Kroenke scored three times.
Darin Leveraus went all nine innings for Sussex and earned the win. Brookfield's Dave Casey had three hits. John Arnold was the losing pitcher, working into the sixth inning.
Other top batters in the league are Taylor Meyer of Merton at .485, Mike Mueller of West Bend at .481, Jeff Rhoads of Oconomowoc at .477 and Kurt Sarcia and Nick Wichser, both of Pewaukee at .464.
Sussex will play against the host Blue Sox at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Cardinals finish the season with a home game against North Lake on Aug. 4 and at Monches on Aug. 5.
Menomonee Falls 9, Lannon 5
Falls broke a 5-5 tie in the seventh. Dean Haase went 3 for 3 for the Stonemen, and Tyler Kozlowski finished 3 for 5.
Standings
| LOL West | W | L |
| Brookfield Bulldogs | 12 | 4 |
| West Bend | 12 | 4 |
| Pewaukee | 10 | 4 |
| Menomonee Falls | 10 | 5 |
| Oconomowoc | 10 | 6 |
| Merton | 9 | 6 |
| Brookfield Blue Sox | 8 | 8 |
| Sussex | 7 | 8 |
| Lannon | 5 | 9 |
| Monches | 5 | 10 |
| Hartland | 2 | 14 |
| North Lake | 2 | 14 |
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