Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton College softball team closed out its regular season with a pair of 4-2 losses to Millikin University on a windy Saturday afternoon.

The Thunder ran its overall record to 22-15-1, with a CCIW mark of 7-7. In home games, Wheaton finished with a 12-3-1 record. The Big Blue (23-11, 11-1 CCIW) clinched the regular season conference title with the victories.

Wheaton also earned a spot in next weekend's CCIW Tournament, which will be hosted by No. 1-seed Millikin in Decatur. The matchups and times are still TBD. This marks the first time since 2002 that Wheaton has participated in the CCIW Tournament.

With gusting winds and sunshine beaming down, Millikin started off Game One with an unearned run that scored on a double. For the next three innings, however, Wheaton starting pitcher Ainsley McCullough settled into a groove by mixing speeds effectively and keeping her location down in the zone. The junior struck out seven batters in her first four innings of work.

Meanwhile, Millikin starting pitcher Whitney Schafman kept Wheaton's batters guessing with a hard fastball that she established early, and then got the hitters way out in front with her offspeed offerings.

The Big Blue offense broke through once again in the fifth inning. A two-run homer, a double and an RBI single plated three runs to extend the visitors' lead to 4-0.

The bottom of the fifth was where the Thunder started to show life on offense. An infield single by Jenna Lawrenz and a walk drawn by Suzanne Teuben started the inning off. Megan Crucetti's sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third. A pickoff attempt by the catcher sailed into left field to allow Lawrenz to score, and Teuben quickly followed her home on a wild pitch.

Even though the Thunder showed a more disciplined approach at the plate in the closing innings, the offense was held scoreless the rest of the way en route to the 4-2 loss. Wheaton's batters were held to three hits, with one each coming from Lawrenz, Teuben and Crucetti. McCullough (9-7) threw seven innings, allowing seven hits, three earned runs and one walk with eight strikeouts.

Millikin plated the first run of Game Two as well. The second inning saw the Big Blue stroke a double and score on an RBI single to take the 1-0 lead.  Wheaton answered back with a run of its own in the fourth inning. Lesley Guenard led off the frame by smashing a double to left field and scored on Teuben's clutch two-out single to center field.

Two singles and two strikeouts setup more drama in Millikin's fifth inning. With runners on second and third, Tosha Ellis hit a hanging offspeed pitch to right centerfield, driving in both runners to make it 3-1.

The Thunder crept within one run in their fifth frame as Guenard smoked another drive to left for her team-leading 16th double of the season. She came around to score on another RBI single from Teuben. However, Millikin added an insurance run in the sixth inning and kept Wheaton off the board in the seventh to close out the game, 4-2.

Danielle Schmidt (10-6) took the loss in the circle. The sophomore's pitched line was six innings, six hits, three earned runs, no walks, two hit batters and seven strikeouts. Teuben went 2-for-3 at the plate and delivered both RBI. Guenard was 2-for-3 with two doubles and Katie Iser went 3-for-4 with her school-record 23rd stolen base of the year.