BOXSCORE

Naperville, Ill. – The Thunder baseball team lost a lengthy, delayed game at North Central College on Saturday afternoon by a score of 23-14. The game, scheduled to be the first of a doubleheader, endured a one hour and 45 minute delay in the first inning of action. The third game of the three-game series was not started because of darkness setting in and the series finale will now be played at 3 PM on Monday afternoon at North Central's Zimmerman Stadium.

North Central scored 23 runs, on 15 hits, with four errors. Wheaton plated 14 runs, on 21 hits, with two errors. Wheaton is now 20-11 on the year and 7-7 in conference play. North Central is 23-5 overall and 11-3 in the CCIW.

Sophomore outfielder Drew Golz was 5-for-5 at the plate, with a two-run home run. Golz scored twice in the game and drove in three runs. Centerfielder Justin Zeller was 3-for-5, with a double, three runs scored and a RBI. Trey Martin was 3-for-5, with two RBI. Danny Pyne collected a pair of hits and Josh Weaver drove in four runs in the game.

Wheaton took an early 4-0 lead with four runs in the top of the first inning. Golz hit his two-run home run in the inning and additional runs were added on a RBI-single by Austin Driggers and a sacrifice fly. The one hour and 45 minute rain delay occurred in the first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. The Cardinals returned to the plate with five runs to take a 5-4 lead in the game. Wheaton tied the game in top of the second inning as Ryan Miller hit a leadoff single and later stole third base and on the stolen base attempt a Cardinal throwing error allowed the Thunder sophomore to score. North Central scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to regain the lead with a 7-5 edge.

North Central scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning to increase its lead to 10-5. Each team scored a run in the fourth inning as a RBI-single by Zeller brought Wheaton's run home. North Central added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to increase its lead to 13-6. Wheaton rallied with six runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut the Cardinals' lead to 13-12. Martin hit a two-run single in the inning, while Golz and Antal also hit run-scoring singles. North Central scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend its lead to 15-12.

Wheaton again scored two runs in top of the seventh inning, to cut the Cardinals' lead to 15-14. Kolb led off the top of the seventh inning with a single and Zeller followed with a double to rightfield. Weaver brought both base runners home with a single to rightfield. North Central answered with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, including a Cardinal grand slam to extend the hosts' lead to 20-14. North Central added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to account for the final score of 23-14.