Carol Stream, Ill. (3/28) – The Thunder baseball team hosted Concordia (Ill.) under damp and overcast conditions at Legion Field on Wednesday afternoon. The game finished in a 6-6 tie when the scheduled nine-inning game was called due to darkness by the umpires following the bottom of the ninth inning. Wheaton scored six runs, on six hits and committed three errors in the game, while the Cougars scored six runs, on five hits and committed two errors.
Wheaton is now 5-4-1 on the season and Concordia is 10-6-1. Wheaton is scheduled to open CCIW action on Saturday in a 1 PM doubleheader against Illinois Wesleyan at Legion Field.
Thunder starting pitcher Luke Munch tossed five innings on the mound, with four runs, including two earned runs, on four hits, with six strikeouts and six walks. Brandon Bradley pitched four innings of relief, allowing two runs, with no earned runs, on one hit, with four strikeouts and five walks.
Both teams combined for 11 singles in a game that saw no extra-base hits. Freshman Brian Kolb was 2-for-5, with a stolen base, a run scored and a run driven in. Junior Matt Bradley went 2-for-5 at the plate, with two stolen bases and a run scored. Senior Nick Turner and junior Dan Falvey each hit singles to account for Wheaton's six hits. Senior Josh Baker drew three walks, while Matt Price, Jay White and Turner each collected two walks in the game.
Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Matt Bradley singled through the right side of the Cougars' infield with one out, he then stole second base and scored on a RBI-single off of Kolb's bat. Concordia plated two runs in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. The Cougars added a run in the top of the fourth to increase the guests' lead to 3-1. Wheaton cut the Concordia lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Falvey hit a RBI-single to drive in freshman Tim Urbanowicz who drew a leadoff walk to open the inning.
Concordia scored a run in the top of the fifth, however, Wheaton countered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 6-4 lead. Wheaton took advantage of two Concordia errors in the fifth and used timely hitting on RBI efforts by Urbanowicz and White, a RBI-single by Turner and Kolb scored when the Cougars had a miscue on a pickoff attempt at third base. Concordia battled back with a run in the sixth inning and another in the seventh to tie the game at 6-6. With daylight decreasing Wheaton left two runners on the base paths when the third out of the ninth inning came and the umpires were forced to call the game due to darkness.
