GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Sophomore Justin Swider was 3-for-4, with a RBI.

BOXSCORE

Chicago, Ill. – The Wheaton baseball team dropped a 7-1 decision on Friday in the first game of a three-game series against North Park University. Wheaton (11-11/1-5 CCIW) will host North Park (20-3/6-0 CCIW) at 1 PM in a doubleheader on Saturday to conclude the series. Saturday's twinbill will be Wheaton's first games at the newly renovated and renamed Lee Pfund Stadium at Legion Field.

North Park scored seven runs, on 12 hits, with one error in today's victory over the Thunder. Wheaton plated one run, on 10 hits and committed two errors. Sophomore starting pitcher Evan Rahn (3-2) took the loss in six innings for the Thunder. Rahn allowed seven runs, on 12 hits, with two strikeouts and two walks. Phillip Tuttle pitched one inning of scoreless relief, allowing no outs. Barrett Ahrberg worked the eighth inning for Wheaton as he allowed no runs, with one walk and he held the Vikings to no hits. North Park hurler Steve Kuligowski (7-1) earned the win for the Vikings in eight innings as he allowed one run, on 10 hits, with seven strikeouts.

Thunder second baseman Justin Swider was 3-for-4, with a double and a RBI. John Jensen-Johnson went 2-for-3. Seniors Ryan Miller and # Drew Golz# each went 2-for-4, as Miller hit a double.

North Park jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first innings and the Vikings added one more run in the bottom of the third. The Vikings plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 4-0, with one more run in the bottom of the fifth. The hosts added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend their lead to 7-0. Wheaton scored its run in the top of the eighth inning as Justin Zeller hit a leadoff single and he scored three batters later on a RBI-single by Swider.