GAME STATS 1 | GAME STATS 2 PICTURED ABOVE: Jenna Lawrenz tallied five hits over the course of two games on Thursday.

Naperville, Ill. - The Wheaton College softball team won game one 2-1 and lost game two 3-1 in a conference doubleheader at North Central College on Thursday.

The Thunder are now 21-13 on the season with a  3-5 mark in CCIW play. The Cardinals' record stands at 13-15 amd 2-8 in conference.

Wheaton got ahead early in the first game, scoring both of its runs in the second inning. Megan Crucetti's RBI fielder's choice was immediately followed up by Jenna Lawrenz with an RBI groundout.

North Central cut the deficit in half in the sixth inning. A leadoff double came around to score on a sacrifice fly, but the tying run was thrown out on the play for leaving the bag early. The Cardinals threatened again in the seventh with a pair of leadoff singles. But Wheaton starting pitcher Ainsley McCullough struck out a pair of pinch hitters and ended the game with a flyout.

McCullough (10-5) got the complete-game win with six hits, one run, one walk and five strikeouts on her line score. The Thunder also got seven hits on the day. Suzanne Teuben was 2-for-3 at the plate while Lawrenz and Lesley Guenard both went 2-for-4.

In game two, North Central took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. After the game's first two batters reached base, the hosts strung together three straight singles to plate two runs, and an RBI groundout brought in the third.

Both pitchers threw blanks from that point on until the bottom of the seventh. A pair of North Central errors scored Wheaton's first run. With the tying run on base, the Cardinals retired the next two batters to end the threat and the game.

Danielle Schmidt (11-7) took the loss in the pitching circle. The junior righthander surrendered one earned run on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Wheaton committed two errors and finished with six hits. Lawrenz led the way with a 3-for-4 performance.

Wheaton continues its conference slate at Millikin University for a 1 PM doubleheader on Saturday.