Carol Stream, Ill. (4/9) – The Thunder baseball team spilt a CCIW doubleheader against Carthage at Wheaton's Legion Field on Monday afternoon. Carthage was a 7-2 winner in the opener and Wheaton rallied to earn a 4-2 victory in the nightcap, behind a strong effort from junior pitcher Luke Munch. Wheaton is 6-10-1 on the season and 1-6 in conference play, while Carthage is now 11-7 overall and 4-1 in league play. The Thunder will host University of Chicago on Tuesday in a scheduled nine-inning contest at Legion Field at 3 PM.
Carthage was a 7-2 victor in the first game as the Red Men scored seven runs, on 10 hits, with one error and Wheaton scored two runs, on five hits, with four errors. Carthage took and early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. The guests added two more runs in the second inning and another run in the third to build a 5-0 advantage after three innings.
Wheaton cut the Carthage lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Luke Munch and Brian Kolb each collected back-to-back one-out singles. Josh Baker lined a single to centerfield that brought Munch home and a Carthage error allowed Kolb to scored and sent Baker to third base. Carthage scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to account for the 7-2 final score.
Senior starting pitcher Matt Price (1-3) took the loss in seven innings of work. Price allowed seven runs, with five earned runs, on 10 hits. He walked four batters and struck out two. Baker was 3-for-3 at the plate with a RBI. The singles by Munch and Kolb accounted for Wheaton's five hits in the game.
Wheaton was a 4-2 victor in the second game was a the hosts scored four runs, on seven hits, with two errors and Carthage scored two runs, on eight hits, with one error. Munch (1-1) had a strong outing as the winning pitcher in nine innings of work for the complete game. The junior southpaw allowed two runs, with just one earned run, on eight hits, with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Carthage scored a run in the top of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Wheaton gained a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Baker led off the fourth with a walk and then Price and Munch were hit by pitches in consecutive at bats to load the bases. Junior catcher Nate Pugh hit a single to rightfield that drove in Baker and Price to give Wheaton the lead. Carthage scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 2-2.
Wheaton plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 4-2 lead. Matt Bradley and Nick Turner each drew walks in the seventh. Bradley scored on a grounder to the first baseman by Kolb; and Turner scored an insurance run when Baker singled to right centerfield. That would be all Wheaton would need as Munch went on to close out the game, including striking out three of Carthage's final six batters.
Price was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Pugh was 2-for-4, with a stolen base and two runs driven in.
