BOXSCORE
Schaumburg, Ill. - The Thunder baseball team earned a 7-6 victory against Elmhurst College on Friday night at Alexian Field. Wheaton is now 15-15 overall and 7-6 in the CCIW, while Elmhurst is 11-6 overall and 3-10 in the CCIW. The two teams will resume their three-game series on Saturday with a noon doubleheader at Elmhurst's Butterfield Park.
Wheaton scored seven runs, on five hits, with no errors and Elmhurst plated six runs, on nine hits, with no errors. Starting pitcher
Tim Urbanowicz (6-1) earned the victory in six innings of work. Urbanowicz allowed three runs, on six hits, with six walks and six strikeouts. Senior
Brandon Bradley tossed 1/3 of an inning of relief, allowing three runs, on one hit, with two walks. Senior
Ed McCaskey worked 2-2/3 innings of relief as he picked up his third save of the season to tie Wheaton's single-season saves record. McCaskey allowed no runs, on two hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.
Freshman centerfield
Justin Zeller was 2-for-3, with a walk, two runs scored and a run batted in. Sophomore
Charlie Antal was 1-for-2, with a double and two walks drawn as he drove in a pair of runs.
Wheaton jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Zeller and catcher
Brian Whartnaby each hit a RBI-single in the inning. Elmhurst scored a run in the top of the third inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 3-1, however, the Thunder added three more runs in the bottom of the third inning to extend its lead to 6-1.
Danny Pyne drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, while Antal and
Mark Price each drew a bases loaded walk as three runs scored in the inning.
Wheaton scored a key insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning Whartnaby drew a two-out walk and scored on the next at-bat when Antal doubled to the gap in left centerfield for a 7-1 Wheaton lead. Elmhurst scored a run in the top of the sixth inning to cut the Thunder advantage to 7-2. The Bluejays scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 7-6, however, McCaskey was able to close the door on the guests, holding Elmhurst hitless in the eighth and ninth innings, to help his team to the victory.
