GAME ONE BOXSCORE

GAME TWO BOXSCORE

Naperville, Ill. – The Wheaton softball team dropped a pair of closely contested contests on Thursday afternoon at #16-ranked North Central College (26-8/8-4 CCIW). The Cardinals scored one run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the first game 2-1. North Central was a 3-1 victor in the nightcap. Wheaton, now 20-18 overall and 4-8 in the CCIW, will close out the season on Saturday afternoon with a CCIW doubleheader at Millikin University.

North Central was a 2-1 victor in the first game of the afternoon as the Cardinals scored two runs, on five hits, with two errors and Wheaton plated one run, on seven hits, with two errors. Ainsley McCullough (11-10) took the tough loss in 6-2/3 innings of work as the starting pitcher. McCullough allowed two runs, one of which was earned, on five hits, with three strikeouts and no walks. Sophomore rightfielder Jenna Lawrenz was 2-for-3, with Wheaton's lone RBI. Kelli Hennessey was 2-for-3 for the guests.

Wheaton took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the second inning. Sophomore Lesley Guenard hit a one-out double to right centerfield and Lawrenz followed in the next at with a single to rightfield that brought Guenard across the plate. North Central tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. North Central scored an unearned run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn the victory over the Thunder.

North Central picked up a 3-1 victory in the nightcap as the hosts scored three runs, on five hits, with no errors and Wheaton tallied one run, on six hits, with no errors. Wheaton freshman starting pitcher Danielle Schmidt (8-8) took the loss in the seven innings. She allowed three runs, on five this, with four strikeouts and two walks. Lauren Griffith was 2-for-3.

Wheaton again jumped out to a 1-0 lead as the Thunder scored a run in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Adrienne Munoz led off the bottom of the first inning with a double to leftfield and Griffith advanced her to third base with a single. Munoz scored the go-ahead run for the Thunder with a sacrifice bunt by Katie Iser. The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the top of the third inning and North Central added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning to account for the 3-1 final score.