GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

Chicago, Ill. - The Thunder softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at University of Chicago on Tuesday afternoon. The Maroons won the tightly contested opening game 1-0 and Wheaton was a 7-5 victor in the second game.

Chicago is now 16-8 on the season, while Wheaton has a record of 13-12-1 for the year. The Thunder will return home on Saturday at noon for a doubleheader with Taylor University at Ruth Leedy Field.

Chicago defeated the Thunder 1-0 in the first game as the Maroons scored one run, on four hits, with one error and Wheaton plated no runs, on four hits, with one error. A solo home run by Chicago's Liz Payonk broke a scoreless tie and was enough for the Maroons to earn the victory.

Thunder starting pitcher Ainsley McCullough took the loss (5-5) in seven innings of work. She held the Maroons to just one run, on four hits, with three strikeouts. Outfielder Suzanne Teuben was 2-for-3 in the game. Katie Iser and Kelli Hennessey each added a single for the Thunder.

Wheaton was a 7-5 winner in the second game as the Thunder scored seven runs, on 10 hits, with three errors and Chicago scored five runs, on eight hits with no errors. Danielle Schmidt (6-5) was the winning pitcher in 4-2/3 innings of work as she allowed five runs, with four earned runs, on six hits, with two strikeouts. McCullough earned the save in 2-1/3 innings of hitless and scoreless relief. Lesley Guenard was 2-for-3, with a run. Iser was 2-for-4, with a run and a RBI and Amanda Mattocks was 2-for-4, with a RBI.

An RBI-single by Mattocks in the in the top of the first inning gave Wheaton a 1-0 lead, but the Maroons countered with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Wheaton regained the lead in the top of the third inning as a pair of runs scored on a fielder's choice by Mattocks, a two-run single by pinch hitter Stacey Cladis and Shanna Morris scored on a pass ball.

Chicago trimmed Wheaton's lead to 6-5 with a run in the bottom of the fourth and two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Wheaton added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning on a RBI-single by Iser.