GAME 1 BOXSCORE

GAME 2 BOXSCORE

Louisville, Ky. – The Wheaton baseball team swept a doubleheader at Spalding University (4-6) on Friday with two varying types of victories. Wheaton shut out the Golden Eagles, 17-0 in the first game. The second game saw the Thunder rally from a 6-2 deficit in the top of the seventh inning with seven unanswered runs in the inning to come from behind for a 9-6 victory.

Wheaton (7-3) and Spalding will wrap up their three-game series on Saturday at 12 PM (ET) in a single nine-inning game. Saturday's game will be broadcast online at this LINK. Today's doubleheader was originally scheduled for Saturday; however, the doubleheader and single game were flipped with rain in the forecast for Saturday in Louisville.

The Thunder won Friday's opener, 17-0 dominating in all facets of the game. Wheaton tied its season-high with 17 runs and Thunder pitchers Trey Martin and Jimmy McDonald combined to hold the Golden Eagles to just three hits. Wheaton scored its 17 runs, on 16 hits and committed no errors, while Spalding scored no runs, on three hits, committing two errors. The Thunder scored 12 of its 17 runs in the fifth and sixth innings, to break the game open late.

Martin (2-0) earned the victory in five scoreless innings on the mound. The freshman held Spalding to just two hits, with five strikeouts and four walks. McDonald worked the final two innings in relief. He allowed no runs, on one hit, with three strikeouts.

Senior shortstop Brian Kolb was 3-for-5, with a double as he drove in four runs and scored twice. Junior Charlie Antal was 2-for-2, with a pair of doubles and two walks as he scored three runs in the game. Senior Josh Weaver was 2-for-3, with a home run, as he scored twice and drove in two runs. Sophomore second baseman Ryan Miller was 2-for-4, with a double as he drove in four runs and scored twice.

Wheaton rallied furiously in the top of the seventh inning to win the second game, 9-6. The Thunder scored nine runs, on 11 hits, with one error and Spalding scored six runs, on 12 hits, with two errors.

Wheaton starting pitcher John Little worked four innings, allowing six runs, on nine hits, with four strikeouts. John Pohl (1-1) picked up the victory with two innings of scoreless relief. Pohl allowed one hit and struck out one batter. Matt MaLossi earned his second save of the season, pitching a scoreless seventh inning.

Wheaton took an early lead when sophomore Drew Golz hit a RBI-single to score the go-ahead run. Spalding took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second inning and added another in the bottom of the third to extend its lead to 4-1. Each team scored a run in the fourth inning and the Golden Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.

Wheaton came up in the top of the seventh still trailing 6-2, but Kolb led off with a single and was followed by a single from Justin Zeller and Josh Weaver drew a walk to load the bases. Golz reached first base on a fielder's choice that allowed Kolb to score, with Weaver being thrown out at second base and Zeller advancing to third as Wheaton cut the lead to 6-3.

In the next at-bat, Wheaton cut the hosts' lead to 6-4 when Martin hit into a fielder's choice that drove Zeller home, with Golz being thrown out at second base for the second out. Consecutive two-out walks by Danny Pyne and Austin Driggers loaded the bases for the guests. On the next at-bat, a ball hit by Antal could not be fielded cleanly, as Pyne and Martin each scored to tie the game at 6-6. Miller hit a ball that drove in a hustling Driggers from second base to give Wheaton the 7-6 lead. Zeller hit a two-RBI single through the right side of the infield for good measure to increase the Thunder lead to 9-6.

Spalding got a leadoff single, however on the next at-bat, a smart defensive play by infielders Martin and Kolb got the leadoff runner at third base and the duo combined on the next at-bat to get a runner and third, with Pohl forcing a flout for the third and final out of the inning to secure the victory.

SCHEDULING NOTE: Wheaton has added a single game at Benedictine University on Thursday, March 25 at 4:30 PM. The previously scheduled single game between Wheaton and Benedictine for March 31 at Alexian Field in Schaumburg will now be a doubleheader between the two teams, beginning at 2:30 PM.