BOXSCORE

Chicago, Ill. – The Thunder baseball team wrapped up its three-game series with North Park University (24-12/13-5 CCIW) on Saturday with a 9-6 victory at the Vikings' Holmgren Athletic Complex. Wheaton is now 21-15 overall and 8-10 in the CCIW. The Thunder will travel to Aurora University on Monday evening at 6 PM for a contest with the Spartans.

Wheaton earned the 9-6 victory on Saturday with nine runs, on 11 hits, with no errors and North Park plated six runs, on 11 hits, with no errors. Thunder starting pitcher Steve Dennison improved his record to 6-3 with the complete game victory. The Wheaton southpaw struck out a season-high 12 Viking batters, including six over the final four innings of the game. The junior allowed six runs, on 11 hits, with just one walk in nine innings of work.

Sophomore centerfielder Justin Zeller was 2-for-3, with a home run and two walks. Zeller drove in four runs on the day and scored twice. Senior shortstop Brian Kolb was 3-for-4, with a double and a walk as he scored twice and drove in one run. Freshman Trey Martin was 2-for-4, with home run. Sophomore leftfielder Drew Golz was 2-for-5, with a triple to his credit on the day.

North Park broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the bottom of the second inning and the hosts added another run in the bottom of the third to take a 3-0 lead. Wheaton put a run on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning as Drew Golz hit a one-out triple to centerfield and scored on a sacrifice fly by Danny Pyne.

Wheaton took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a three-run blast to deep centerfield by Justin Zeller. North Park responded in the bottom of the fifth inning with two runs to regain the lead with a 5-4 advantage. Wheaton tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the sixth inning on a solo home run to centerfield by third baseman Trey Martin.

Zeller hit a one-run single in the top of the seventh inning to give Wheaton a 6-5 lead, as he drove in Luke Ross who reached base earlier in the inning on a fielder's choice. Wheaton extended its lead to 9-5 with three insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning. Kolb hit a one-run double to start Wheaton's scoring in the ninth and Golz hit a two-run single to rightfield for the key insurance runs. North Park plated one run in bottom of the ninth, but Dennison retired the final Viking batter with the bases loaded to secure the conference win for the Thunder.