GAME STATS 1 | GAME STATS 2 PICTURED ABOVE: Phil Tuttle hit his first career home run in Game two of a doubleheader on Saturday.

Carol Stream, Ill.- The Wheaton baseball team completed its first conference series of the season by dropping both games of a doubleheader against the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday. Wheaton lost game one by a score of 7-2 before falling 13-12 in a slugfest in game two. With the losses, Wheaton falls to 4-13 overall and 0-3 in CCIW, while Illinois Wesleyan improves to 10-4 and 3-0 in conference play.

In game one, Michael Kauffman gave Wheaton a chance by scattering eight hits and four runs across the first seven innings of the game. However, the Titans were able to take advantage of several two-out opportunities in order to build the IWU lead. A two-out home run in the top of the first by Nick Hahn and a two-out double by Kevin Callahan gave IWU a 3-0 lead after three innings. Wheaton took advantage of a pair of Titan errors in the bottom of the fourth inning to push across a run and make it 3-1. The Titans responded with consecutive two-out doubles in the fifth to restore their three-run lead.

Wheaton threatened again in the bottom of the seventh inning when a Phil Tuttle ground rule double cut the lead to 4-2 and put runners on second and third, but the Thunder couldn't come through with the big hit and Illinois Wesleyan responded with a solo home run by Callahan in the eighth and a two-run homer by Hahn in the ninth to account for the final score of 7-2.

Game two saw the Thunder fall behind in the top of the first inning, but come charging back with a three-run rally in the home half of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. After IWU chipped into the lead with a run in the top of the second, the Thunder plated four more runs in the bottom of the second highlighted by a two-run single by Kyle Mellinger (PICTURED RIGHT) to build a 7-2 lead. That lead would hold until the top of the fourth inning when the Titans put up seven runs on seven hits to take a 9-7 lead.

Trailing once again, Matt MaLossi stabilized the Thunder on the mound and a Mellinger ground out cut the lead to 9-8 in the bottom of the fourth before the Thunder rallied to retake the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Josh Kimmel tied the game by reaching on an RBI fielder's choice before Tuttle launched Wheaton's first home run of the season to center field to bring home three runs and put Wheaton ahead 12-9.

Illinois Wesleyan rallied with three runs in the eighth inning to tie the game and added an unearned run in the top of the ninth to take a 13-12 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Scott Mancini (PICTURED LEFT)  gave the Thunder a chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth by pitching out of a jam in the top of the ninth with a pair of strikeouts and a line out. In the bottom of the ninth, Wheaton loaded the bases with just one out, but again couldn't find the big hit to bring home the tying run and fell 13-12.

Wheaton will continue its CCIW slate with a doubleheader on Tuesday against the Elmhurst Bluejays at Lee Pfund Stadium starting at 3 PM.