Wheaton, Ill. (3/26) – The Thunder softball team dropped a pair of games to Aurora University on Monday afternoon in a doubleheader under unseasonably warm conditions at Wheaton's Ruth Leedy Field. The Spartans topped the Thunder 9-3 in the opener and Aurora shut out the hosts 8-0 in the nightcap. Today's twinbill was a make-up of games that have twice been postponed due to weather. Wheaton is now 8-6 on the season and Aurora improves to 9-3 on the year. The Thunder is scheduled to host Trinity Christian College in a doubleheader on Wednesday at 3 PM and will travel to University of Chicago on Thursday.
In the Spartans' 9-3 victory in the opener, Aurora jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Thunder junior Trinity Pierce hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first to cut the Aurora lead to 3-1. Freshman Alissa Sharp led off the bottom of the second inning with a double and scored on the next at-bat when Sarah Callicutt blasted a RBI-double to the centerfield fence as Wheaton cut the guests' lead to 3-2 after two innings. Junior Lauren Hein led off the bottom of the third inning with a double to centerfield and she scored two batters later when Pierce smacked a single to rightfield to tie the game at 3-3. Aurora broke the tie with three runs in the top of the fourth inning and added three more runs in the top of the sixth to account for the 9-3 final score.
Aurora scored nine runs, on 13 hits, with two errors and Wheaton plated three runs, on six hits, with two errors. Pierce was 2-for-2 at the plate, with her second home run of the year, two RBI and a walk. Callicutt added the RBI double, while Hein and Sharp also hit doubles and Laura Jones had a single to account for Wheaton's six hits in the game. Starting pitcher Sara Hoffman tossed one inning for the Thunder, allowing three runs, on four hits, with two strikeouts and a walk. Junior Kim Hegna (3-2) pitched six innings of relief, allowing six runs, with four earned runs, on nine hits.
Aurora won the second game by scattering 11 hits and Spartan pitcher Brittany Butcher held the Thunder to just three hits with five strikeouts. Aurora scored eight runs, on 11 hits and committed no errors, while Wheaton scored no runs, on three hits, with one error. Hein was 2-for-3 at the plate and Sharp added a single to account for the three Thunder hits. Starting pitcher Beth Miller (4-3) took the loss in five innings of work as she allowed seven runs, with four earned runs, on nine hits. Hoffman tossed one inning of relief, allowing one earned run, on two hits.
