BOXSCORE

Kenosha, Wis. - The Thunder baseball team dropped the opening game of the 2009 CCIW Baseball Tournament on Friday in a 10-6 loss to Illinois Wesleyan. The third-seeded Thunder (21-18) will play an elimination game of the double-elimination tournament on Friday at 10 AM against Augustana College (23-16). Fourth-seeded Augustana lost 12-5 to top-seeded Carthage in the day's other First Round game. Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan will play at 1 PM on Friday, with the loser of that game facing the Wheaton/Augustana winner at 4 PM in an elimination game.

Illinois Wesleyan defeated the Thunder today with 10 runs, on 11 hits, with one error and Wheaton scored six runs, on 17 hits, with no errors. Wheaton starting pitcher Tim Urbanowicz (8-2) took the loss in 6-2/3 innings of work. Urbanowicz allowed 10 runs, on 10 hits, with five strikeouts and two walks. Senior Brandon Bradley worked 1-1/3 innings of scoreless relief, with one hit.

Designated hitter Steve Dennison was 3-for-4, with a run scored and one run driven in. Freshman Ryan Miller was 2-for-5, with his third home run of the season, three RBI and a run scored. Junior Brian Kolb and Justin Zeller each went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Mark Price and Brian Whartnaby also had 2-for-5 efforts at the plate.

Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, thanks to a Steve Dennison sacrifice fly. The Titans took a 4-1 lead with four runs in the fourth inning and they added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 6-1.

Wheaton tied the game at 6-6 with five runs in the top of the seventh inning. Miller belted a three-run home run to right field in the inning. Price hit a RBI-single and the fifth run of the inning was the result of a sacrifice fly by Charlie Antal to tie the game at 6-6. Illinois Wesleyan rallied with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the 10-6 lead that would become the final score.