Box Score

Schaumburg, Ill. - Patient batters and a clutch hit turned the tide in the eighth inning to give the Wheaton College baseball team a 10-7 victory over Elmhurst College on Friday.

The Thunder improve to 23-15 overall and 9-10 in the CCIW. The Bluejays fell to 8-29 overall, 3-16 in conference play.

Friday's game was Senior Night for the eight Wheaton College seniors who were recognized in a ceremony before the game. This year's seniors are Zach Fallon, Brian Kolb, John Little, Steve Noble, John Pohl, Mark Price, Tim Urbanowicz and Josh Weaver.

It didn't take long for Wheaton's offense to warm up on the chilly, overcast evening. Justin Zeller stroked an RBI double and Trey Martin came through with a towering three-run homer to left field to stake Wheaton to a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

The two teams traded runs the rest of the way in a see-saw battle. After Elmhurst cut the deficit to 4-3, Wheaton outfielder Charlie Antal cranked a solo home run of his own in the fourth inning to extend the lead.

But the visiting Bluejays would not go away, scoring one run in each of the next four innings. The Thunder countered with an RBI single by Danny Pyne in the fifth and a seventh-inning error gave Pyne another RBI.

An RBI groundout in the eighth inning scored an unearned run to pull Elmhurst even at 7-7. However, the bottom of the eighth was when Wheaton pounced. Back-to-back walk chased Bluejays starting pitcher Joe Luft at the start of the inning, and Kolb followed with an RBI double to right field that plated the go-ahead run. Luke Ross then scored on a wild pitch and Drew Golz knocked in a run with a fielders choice.

Little (3-4) then closed out Elmhurst in the ninth with three quick outs to get the victory in relief. He allowed one unearned run with no hits and one walk in two innings of work. Starting pitcher Eric Albaugh got a no-decision, allowing 11 hits with six runs (five earned), four walks and four strikeouts.

Zeller led the Wheaton hitting attack by going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Mark Price went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Luft (2-5) took the loss in seven innings of work. He gave up 10 hits and nine earned runs with five walks and nine strikeouts.

The Thunder conclude its season at Elmhurst College with a 1:00 PM doubleheader on Saturday.