GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Trey Martin hit his 11th home run of the season on Monday.

Box Score

Carol Stream, Ill. - Aurora University pounded out 17 hits on Monday to defeat the Wheaton College baseball team 6-2 on Monday.

The Thunder fall to 21-16 overall while the Spartans improve their record to 30-8. Wheaton will next play a pivotal three-game conference series versus Carthage College on Friday and Saturday to help decide who makes the CCIW Tournament. Friday action begins at 3 PM in Carol Stream.

The Spartans got their bats rolling right away by scoring three runs on eight hits in the first three innings. Wheaton wriggled out of trouble several times in those innings, stranding five runners on base with several in scoring position.

Casey Moll came in as a relief pitcher in the third inning for starter Jimmy McDonald. Moll proceeded to strike out the first three batters he faced with four total punchouts in his 3-2/3 innings of work. Aurora made it 5-0 in the fifth inning after Brett VanAsdlen smacked a two-run homer to left field.

Wheaton's offense made things closer in the bottom of the sixth. After Justin Zeller drew a walk, Trey Martin crushed an opposite-field shot over the right field fence to make it 5-2. The Thunder put two more runners on that inning, but couldn't push any more runs across.

The Spartans wrapped up the scoring in the eighth inning with an unearned run to account for the 6-2 final.

McDonald (1-3) took the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits in 2-1/3 innings. Alex German also threw two innings of relief with Miles Veth tossing the ninth inning. Anthony Buonamici (2-0) earned the victory for Aurora in six innings, allowing eight hits and two runs with one walk and three strikeouts.

The Thunder offense produced 10 hits and the defense committed two errors. Martin was 3-for-4 at the plate with the homer, a double and two RBI. Justin Swider and Taylor Howe both went 2-for-4 on the day.