GAME STATS 1 |
GAME STATS 2 PICTURED ABOVE: Evan Rahn (PICTURED LEFT) scattered six hits in earning the game-two win. Drew Golz (PICTURED RIGHT) earned his seventh complete game and tied the school single-season record with his eighth win of the season in game one.
GAME 1 BOXSCORE: Wheaton 6, North Central 4
GAME 2 BOXSCORE: Wheaton 5, North Central 2
Carol Stream, Ill – The Thunder baseball team swept North Central College in a key CCIW doubleheader on Saturday. Wheaton won the opener 6-4 and the Thunder topped the Cardinals in the nightcap, 5-2. Today's game was moved to Wheaton's Lee Pfund Stadium from its originally scheduled location of North Central's Zimmerman Stadium due to overnight rains in the area and the Cardinals served as the home team.
Wheaton is now 21-15 on the year, with a 10-8 CCIW record. North Central falls to 19-13 overall and 9-9 in conference play. The Thunder will host Aurora University in a non-conference game on Monday at 3:30 PM at Lee Pfund Stadium.
Wheaton won today's first game 6-4 as the Thunder scored six runs, on seven hits, with one error and the Cardinals scored four runs, on 11 hits, with no errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Drew Golz (8-1) earned the win in nine innings of work as he threw his seventh complete game of the season. Golz allowed four runs, including three earned runs, on 11 hits, with four strikeouts and five walks. In earning his eighth victory of the season, Golz tied Wheaton's single-season record for victories as he joins Tim Urbanowicz (2009), Tom Fiddler (1985) and Bill Bostrom (1963) for the single-season record.
Trey Martin was 2-for-4, with two RBI and a run scored. Freshman outfielder
Alex MaLossi (PICTURED LEFT) was 2-for-4, with a key run-tying RBI.
Each team scored a run in the first inning as
Trey Martin drove in a run for the Thunder. The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Wheaton tied the game at 2-2 as
Alex MaLossi drove in the tying run with a clutch single to left field.
The Thunder broke the game open with four runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 6-2 lead. Pinch hitter
Taylor Howe drove in a pair of runs in the inning with a two-run double down the leftfield line, with additional runs on a RBI-double by
John Jensen-Johnson and a RBI-single by Martin. The Cardinals trimmed Wheaton's lead to 6-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning; however, Golz shut the door on North Central's rally to earn the victory.
Wheaton won today's finale 5-2, as the Thunder scored five runs, on 10 hits, with no errors and North Central scored two runs, on six hits, committing two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Evan Rahn earned the victory (5-3) in 7-2/3 strong innings on the mound. Rahn, allowed two runs, including one earned run, on six hits, with five walks and four strikeouts. Senior
Matt MaLossi (PICTURED RIGHT) earned his second save of the season in 1-1/3 innings of relief as he continued his stellar season by holding the Cardinals scoreless and without a hit. MaLossi has not allowed a run over his last 15 consecutive innings, a span of six games.
Thunder centerfielder
Justin Zeller was 2-for-4, with a walk, three RBI and a run scored. Golz was 2-for-4, with a run and a walk. Senior shortstop
Ryan Miller was 2-for-5, with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base.
Wheaton took an early lead in the top of the first inning as Golz hit a one-out single and scored on a Cardinal error. Wheaton added three runs in the top of the third inning to extend its lead to 4-0. Zeller hit a two-run single in the third inning and he scored on a long triple to leftfield by
Justin Swider. North Central reached the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning to trim Wheaton's lead to 4-2. Wheaton added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning as Zeller (PICTURED LEFT) drove in a run with a fielder's choice to account for the final score of 5-2.
