Wheaton, Ill. (4/28)- The Thunder softball team continued its recent strong play on Saturday afternoon with two non-conference wins against Trinity Christian College at Leedy Field. Wheaton won the opener 6-3 and followed up with an 8-0 victory (in five innings in game two. With the pair of wins, Wheaton improves to 19-18-1 on the year and remains at 5-7 in CCIW play. Trinity Christian falls to 9-28 on the year.
On the way to a 6-3 win in game one, Wheaton collected nine hits and went errorless in the field, while Trinity Christian picked up six hits and committed one error. After a slow start at the plate through two innings, the Thunder bats roared to life in the third inning, as Wheaton exploded for all six of their runs. Becky Redline led off the inning with a single to center and came around to score on Lauren Hein's RBI-double into the left centerfield gap. Following a walk to Sarah Callicutt, Trinity Pierce cleared the bases with a towering three-run homer to right center. The final two runs of the inning were sparked by back to back singles from Beth Miller and Amanda Grant. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Kay Oliver collected two RBI on a sharp single to left.
Junior starting pitcher Miller (9-6) picked up the win with four innings of scoreless work. Miller scattered three hits, fanned three and walked one. Junior Sarah Hoffman worked the final three innings, allowing three runs on three hits, striking out one and walking two. Pierce went 1-for-2 with three RBI, while hitting her eighth homer of the year. Both Grant and Oliver were 2-for-3 for the game, with Oliver collecting two RBI.
The Thunder offensive production continued in game two, as Wheaton came away with an 8-0 win in four and a half innings. Wheaton scored their eight runs on 10 hits, as all nine starters reached base, and the Thunder were again unblemished in the error column. Trinity Christian did not score while picking up three hits and committing four errors. Wheaton's three run second inning was ignited by doubles from Alissa Sharp and Grant along with a pair of singles from freshman Laura Jones and junior Lauren Hein. The Thunder came back with two more runs in the third powered by hits from Pierce and Sharp, and they capped off the game with three runs in fourth featuring a two-run double from Callicutt.
Junior Kim Hegna (8-5) worked five scoreless innings, giving up three hits, striking out three and walking one. Jones was a perfect 2-for-2 on the game with a run scored, while Grant continued her hot afternoon with a 2-for-3, two RBI performance. Sharp and Pierce also went 2-for-3 with Sharp scoring twice and Pierce adding an RBI and a run scored in the nightcap. Callicutt had two RBI and scored a run on a 1-for-3 effort at the plate.
Wheaton will conclude the regular season at home on Monday, April 30 at 3 PM in a twinbill against CCIW foe Elmhurst College. Monday's doubleheader was originally scheduled for last Thursday but was postponed due to rain.
