BOXSCORE

Schaumburg, Ill. - The Thunder baseball team improved to 5-4 in CCIW play and 12-13 overall with a 16-4 victory against North Central (3-13/2-6) at Alexian Field on Wednesday afternoon. Today's win gave Wheaton the season sweep against the Cardinals and it marked Wheaton's fifth victory in its last six CCIW contests.

Wheaton will conclude its three-game homestand on Thursday with a 3 PM game against North Park University. Thursday's game will be broadcast on WETN radio at 88.1 FM in the Wheaton area and on the internet at www.wetn.org, with live in-game statistics here.

In today's victory, Wheaton scored 16 runs, on 14 hits, with one error and North Central scored four runs, on nine hits, with three errors. Thunder starting pitcher John Little (3-1) earned the win in seven innings of work as he allowed four earned runs, on nine hits, with five walks as he tossed his second complete game of the season.

All-American shortstop Brian Kolb was 4-for-5 at the plate, with two doubles. Kolb drove in five runs and scored four times in the game. Freshman second baseman Ryan Miller was 2-for-2, with a double and a walk, as he scored four times and drove in four RBI. Sophomore Steve Dennison was 2-for-2 as he drove in four runs. Sophomore catcher Brian Whartnaby was 2-for-4, with two runs and freshman Justin Zeller was 2-for-5, with three RBI and a run scored.

Wheaton took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Zeller hit a RBI single and Dennison drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. North Central scored a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to tie the game at 2-2. Wheaton took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 5-2 lead. Wheaton's third-inning effort was the result of a RBI-double by Kolb and RBI-singles from Dennison and Mark Price.

North Central cut Wheaton's lead to 5-3 with a run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Thunder offense could not be quieted. Wheaton scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend its lead to 10-3 as Brian Kolb hit a key two-run double in the inning and Dennison drove in a run on a single. Wheaton's lead increased to 15-3 with five more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as Miller drove in two runs with a double and Kolb hit a RBI-single.

Wheaton's 16th and final run came in the bottom of the sixth inning as Kolb hit a RBI-single to centerfield. North Central plated one run in the top of the seventh inning, but it was not enough to overcome Wheaton's 12-run advantage as the game ended after seven innings.