BOXSCORE

Naperville, Ill. – The Wheaton baseball team dropped the final game of its three-game series with North Central College on Monday with a 7-2 loss at North Central College (24-5/12-3). Wheaton is now 20-12 overall and 7-8 in the CCIW. The Thunder will travel to University of Chicago on Wednesday for a non-conference contest against Maroons at 3:30 PM. Wheaton will resume it conference schedule on Thursday with a key CCIW doubleheader against North Park that starts at 3:00 PM at Alexian Field in Schaumburg.

North Central topped the Thunder 7-2 in today's game as the Cardinals scored seven runs, on 10 hits, with two errors and Wheaton plated two runs, seven hits, with one error. Thunder starting pitcher Steve Dennison (5-3) took the loss in a complete game effort of eight innings. Dennison allowed seven runs, on 10 hits, with five strikeouts and three walks. North Central starter Nate Arensen worked nine innings, allowing two unearned runs, on seven hits, with five strikeouts and two walks.

Wheaton first baseman Danny Pyne was 2-for-4 at the plate with a RBI. Sophomore second baseman Ryan Miller was 2-for-4, with a run scored. Senior Josh Weaver was also 2-for-4 on the day with a double.

North Central jumped out to an early lead on Monday with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Wheaton cut the Cardinals' lead to 2-1 with a run in the top of the second inning. Pyne knocked in the run for the Thunder with a RBI-single through the right side of the infield. North Central scored two more runs in the bottom of the second and added another in the bottom of the third to extend its lead to 5-1 through three innings.

Dennison held the Cardinals scoreless for the next four innings and Wheaton added another run in the top of the eighth inning to cut the hosts' lead to 5-2. Miller led off the eighth inning with a single and scored three batters later on a ball hit by Weaver. However, North Central responded with two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to account for the final score of 7-2.