GAME STATS 1 | GAME STATS 2 PICTURED ABOVE: Justin Zeller (LEFT) hit a grand slam on Saturday and Matt MaLossi (RIGHT) earned the win in game two with five innings of scoreless relief.

GAME 1 BOXSCORE: North Park 6, Wheaton 4

GAME 2 BOXSCORE: Wheaton 8, North Park 7 (11 Innings)

Carol Stream, Ill. - Carol Stream, Ill. - The Thunder baseball team split a doubleheader with North Park on Saturday in the opening slate of games at Wheaton's Lee Pfund Stadium at Legion Field. North Park won the opener 6-4 and the Thunder won the nightcap 8-7 in 11 innings. Wheaton loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the 11th and Trey Martin drew a game-winning walk to give the Thunder the 8-7 victory.

Wheaton is now 12-12 on the year, with a 2-6 CCIW record. Number-20 ranked North Park, is now 21-4 on the year, with a 7-1 CCIW record. The Thunder will close out their season series with Elmhurst on Wednesday in a 3 PM contest with the Bluejays.

Wheaton rallied from a 7-1 deficit to win the nightcap 8-7 in 11 innings. The Thunder scored eight runs, on 12 hits, with three errors and North Park scored seven runs, on nine hits, with no errors. Thunder starting pitcher Miles Veth worked the first four innings for the Thunder, as allowed five runs, on six hits, with three walks and one strikeout. Jimmy McDonald worked two innings of relief, allowing two runs, with one earned run, on two hits, with one walk and one strikeout. Senior Matt MaLossi (2-2) earned the victory in five innings of stellar relief as he held the Vikings to just one hit, with no runs and two strikeouts.


North Park scored two runs in the top of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead, however, Wheaton countered with one run in the bottom of the second thanks to Martin's solo homer to trim the Vikings' lead to 2-1. North Park extended its lead to 3-1 with a run in the top of the fourth inning.

The Vikings added four more runs in the top of the fifth inning to extend its lead to 7-1. Wheaton's offense came alive in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a RBI-double by Howe and a grand slam over the fence in left field to cut the North Park lead to 7-6. Desmond Cato drove in a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 7-7.

MaLossi entered the game in the top of the seventh inning and he was stellar, allowing just a double in the 11th inning in his tremendous five innings of relief. In the bottom of the 11th inning freshman pinch hitter Matt Krause drew a one-out walk for the Thunder. He advanced to second on a single by Miller. Drew Golz hit into a fielder's choice as Miller was out at second,   Krause advanced to third and Golz was safe at first. Zeller drew a walk to load the bases and Wheaton won the game as Martin drew a game-winning walk to bring Krause home for the Thunder victory.

North Park was a 6-4 winner in the first game, as the Vikings scored six runs, on 11 hits, with no errors and Wheaton plated four runs, on six hits, with one error. Golz started the game on the mound for the Thunder, with 8-1/3 innings, allowing six runs, including four earned runs, on 10 hits, with five walks and four strikeouts. Martin pitched 2/3 of an inning of relief, allowing one hit, with one strikeout.

The Vikings took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the second inning. Wheaton plated four runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-3 lead. Wheaton had RBI-singles by Austin Driggers and Cato, while Jensen-Johnson drove in a pair of runs with a double. North Park regained the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 5-4 lead. The Vikings added one insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning to account for the final score of 6-4.

PHOTO GALLERY, COURTESY OF MICHAEL HUDSON PHOTOGRAPHY