Aurora, Ill. - The Wheaton Thunder baseball team earned an 8-7 victory against Aurora University in a non-conference meeting on Monday night. Wheaton is now 15-22 on the year, while Aurora falls to 24-10. The Thunder will conclude the season this weekend with a scheduled three-game series with Elmhurst College. Wheaton and the Bluejays will open the series on Friday at 7 PM at Elmhurst's Butterfield Park and wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader at Lisle-Bendectine University Sports Complex.

Wheaton scored eight runs in tonight's win, with seven hits and five errors. Aurora scored seven runs, on 12 hits, with three errors. Reliever Jimmy McDonald (2-2) earned the victory in 3-2/3 innings of work. McDonald allowed two runs, on three hits, with one strikeout. Senior Luke Ross worked the final two innings to earn his second save of the season. Ross allowed one run, on two hits, with one strikeout. Thunder starting pitcher Taylor Howe allowed four runs, on six hits in three innings. Phillip Tuttle pitched 1/3 of an inning of relief, allowing one hit.

Junior Austin Driggers was 2-for-2, with three RBI. Brian Whartnaby belted a home run in the game and Justin Zeller added a triple.

Wheaton took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to a two-run single by Driggers. Aurora plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at 2-2. Wheaton regained the lead with a run in the top of the second inning on a RBI by Whartnaby. Aurora took the lead in the back-and-forth game with two runs in the bottom of the third inning to give the Spartans a 4-3 advantage.

Wheaton tied the game at 4-4 on a solo home run by Whartnaby in the top of the fourth inning. A RBI-triple by Zeller and a RBI single by Driggers helped Wheaton plate a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 6-4 lead.

The Thunder extended their lead to 8-4 in the top of the seventh inning thanks in large part to a two-run double by Trey Martin. Aurora scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and added another in the eighth. With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning a Spartan batter reached first base on a Thunder fielding error. Ross struck out the next batter and the runner attempted to steal second base, but was thrown out at second on a rifle throw by Whartnaby.