GAME #1 BOXSCORE
GAME #2 BOXSCORE

Naperville, Ill. – The bats of the Thunder baseball team were loud and powerful on Tuesday afternoon in a CCIW doubleheader at North Central. Wheaton rallied from a 9-3 deficit after three innings, led by two fourth-inning grand slams, to earn a 14-10 victory in the first game of the day. With the twin grand slams in the fourth inning, Wheaton becomes only the ninth team in Division III history to hit two slams in one inning. The most recent occurrence of two grand slams in one inning by a Division III program was by Hendrix College on February 20, 2007.

The second game of the twinbill was called due to darkness after eight innings with the score tied at 8-8. The Thunder rallied from an 8-4 deficit in the top of the eighth inning in the nightcap, when senior Luke Munch hit Wheaton's third grand slam of the day. In the day's two games, Munch was 5-for-9, with five runs scored and five driven in. The second game will resume in the top of the ninth inning on April 9 before Wheaton and North Central's scheduled game at Legion Field (3 PM). Please note: a game-time for the resumption of the ninth inning has not been announced.

In Wheaton's 14-10 victory in the opener, the Thunder scored 14 runs, on 15 hits, with no errors and North Central scored 10 runs, on 12 hits, with four errors. The Cardinals jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one inning. Wheaton tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the third inning thanks to a two-RBI single from Omar Vargas, however, the Cardinals scored six runs in the bottom of the third to take a 9-3 lead.

Wheaton scored two early runs in the top of the fourth inning off of RBI-singles by Munch and Brian Kolb. Senior catcher Nate Pugh belted a two-out grand slam to tie the game at 9-9 and he combined with freshman Charlie Antal to make school history when Antal belted a grand slam four batters later to give Wheaton a 13-9 lead. The back-to-back slams by Pugh and Antal mark the first time on record in Wheaton history, and only the ninth time in Division III history, that a team has hit grand slams in the same inning. North Central scored a run in the bottom of the fifth inning and Kolb hit a RBI-single in the sixth to account for the final score of 14-10.

Munch was 3-for-4, with three runs scored and a RBI, while Kolb was 3-for-5, with two RBI and a run scored. Vargas was 2-for-5, with two runs scored. Pugh and Antal each went 2-for-5, with their second round-trippers of the year. Starting pitcher Tim Urbanowicz allowed nine runs, in 2-2/3 innings as he gave up seven hits, with four walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Steve Dennison (3-1) earned the win in 2-1/3 innings of relief. Dennison allowed one run, on four hits, with three walks. Munch tossed two innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit, with two strikeouts.

Each team scored eight runs on 11 hits in the second game that was called due to darkness after eight innings. Wheaton took a 2-1 lead in the third inning thanks to a RBI-single by Kolb and a RBI-double from Vargas. North Central scored one run in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game and the Cardinals added three runs in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. Antal hit a two-RBI single to left centerfield in the top of the sixth inning to cut the hosts' lead to 5-4. North Central countered with three runs in the sixth inning to take an 8-4 lead.

The Thunder opened the top of the eighth inning with singles by Danny Pyne and Falvey, followed by a walk to Antal that loaded the bases with no outs. Munch drilled his grand slam down the line to tie the game at 8-8 and give the Thunder its second huge rally of the day. Josh Weaver pitched one inning of scoreless relief in the eighth inning and the umpires called the game as Wheaton prepared to hit in the top of the ninth inning.

Munch was 2-for-4, with a walk, a stolen base, four RBI and two runs scored. The Thunder southpaw hit a third-inning triple, in addition to his grand slam. Pyne was 2-for-4, with a stolen base and two runs scored. Falvey went 2-for-4 with a run.

Starting pitcher John Little pitched five innings, allowing five runs, on seven hits. Freshman Zach Fallon pitched one inning of relief, allowing three runs, on three hits. Junior Ed McCaskey tossed one inning of scoreless relief, allowing one hit, with a strikeout and a walk. Weaver worked one scoreless inning, with no hits allowed, a walk and a strikeout.

Wheaton will host Aurora in a non-conference game at Legion Field on Wednesday at 4 PM. Live statistics of Wednesday's game will be available online - LINK TO LIVESTATS.