GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

Wheaton, Ill. – The Thunder softball team opened conference play on Thursday afternoon with a doubleheader against North Central (8-4/2-0 CCIW) at Ruth Leedy Field. North Central rallied to win game-one 7-4 in eight innings and the Cardinals won the second game 4-0. Wheaton (9-11/0-2 CCIW) will host Hope College on Saturday afternoon at 1 PM. Live in-game statistics of Saturday's doubleheader will be available online, and the opening game of the twinbill will be broadcast on WETN radio at 88.1 FM in the Wheaton area and online at www.wetn.org.

North Central rallied from a 4-2 deficit after six innings to win today's opener 7-4 in eight innings. The Cardinals scored seven runs, on eight hits, with two errors and Wheaton scored four runs, on eight hits, with four errors. Thunder starting pitcher Mandy Brockman (3-7) took the loss in eight innings of work as she allowed seven runs, with five earned runs, on eight hits, and four strikeouts. Freshman Amanda Mattocks (PICTURED LEFT) was 2-for-3, with a walk and a RBI. Freshman outfielder Lesley Guenard was 2-for-4, with a stolen base; she scored two runs and drove in another.

Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Guenard led off the inning with a single and scored three batters later when Mattocks hit a single through the middle of the infield. North Central scored one run in the top of the second inning to tie the game at 1-1.

The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead. Wheaton countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to re-take the lead with a 4-2 edge. Freshman Megan Chrans led off the fourth inning with a single and she scored three batters later on a single by Kay Oliver. Guenard hit a single that brought Oliver home. Guenard stole second base and a North Central throwing error on the play allowed the freshman to scamper home and give Wheaton a 4-2 lead.

North Central rallied with two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the contest at 4-4 and Wheaton was unable to score in the bottom of the inning as the contest went into extra innings. In the top of the eighth inning, North Central catcher Laura Constantine belted a three-run home run over the fence in left centerfield that would prove to be the difference in the guests' 7-4 victory.

North Central shut out the Thunder 4-0 in the second game as the Cardinals scored four runs, on seven hits, with three errors and Wheaton scored no runs, on five hits, with no errors. The Cardinals took an early 3-0 lead with three runs in the first inning and North Central plated another run in the second inning to account for the 4-0 final score.

Thunder starting pitcher Ainsley McCullough (5-2) took the loss in the six innings of work as she allowed four runs, with three of them earned, on seven hits and three strikeouts. McCullough allowed just two Cardinal hits after the second inning. Singles by Guenard, Christine Williams, Kelli Hennessey, Adrienne Munoz, and Katie Iser accounted for Wheaton's five hits in the game.