BOXSCORE

Schaumburg, Ill. - The Wheaton baseball team won a 14-12 decision against North Park University on Thursday afternoon at Alexian Field. Wheaton is now 13-13 overall and 6-4 in CCIW play, while North Park falls to 11-13 overall and 2-7 in conference action. The same two teams will play a doubleheader at North Park on Saturday afternoon at 1 PM.

Wheaton scored 14 runs, on 15 hits, with three errors and North Park plated 12 runs, on 15 hits, with one error. Starting pitcher Tim Urbanowicz (5-1) earned the win for the Thunder in seven innings of work, as he allowed eight runs, with seven earned runs, on 11 hits, with three walks and 10 strikeouts. John Pohl pitched 1-1/3 innings of relief as he allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on four hits, with one walk. Senior Ed McCaskey earned his second save of the season in 2/3 of an inning of relief. McCaskey induced outs on the final two Viking batters of the game to earn the save.

Sophomore Danny Pyne was 3-for-4, with two RBI and a run scored. Shortstop Brian Kolb was 2-for-3, with a double as he drove in one run and scored three times. Freshman Justin Zeller was 1-for-2, with a home run and three walks as he scored three times and drove in two runs. Freshman Ryan Miller was 2-for-5, with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Freshman Matt Fenlason was 2-for-4, with a run and catcher Brian Whartnaby was 2-for-5, with two RBI and a run scored. Third baseman Mark Price hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Wheaton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the of third inning as Miller hit a RBI-double, while Pyne and Dennison each hit RBI singles in the three-run first inning. North Park cut Wheaton's lead to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning; however, Wheaton scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning to extend its lead to 6-2. Wheaton's effort in the third inning was highlighted by a triple off the bat of Whartnaby that drove in two runs and a RBI-single from Pyne.

Zeller belted a two-run home run to centerfield in the bottom of the fourth inning to increase Wheaton's lead to 8-2. North Park scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning and another run in the top of the sixth to cut Wheaton's lead to 8-6. Wheaton pulled away from the Vikings again in the bottom of the sixth inning as Price hammered a grand slam over the leftfield fence to give the hosts a 12-6 lead.

North Park scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 12-8 and Wheaton added a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh as a RBI single by Miller and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kolb extended Wheaton's lead to 14-8. North Park rallied with four runs in the top of the eighth inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 14-12 and two Viking base runners reached in the top of the ninth, however, McCaskey came in and forced the final two North Park batters to fly out as he secured the win for the Thunder.