GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Evan Rhan (LEFT) earned the win in eight innings of strong work on the mound. Justin Swider (RIGHT) collected two hits and drove in two runs.
Carol Stream, Ill. – The Wheaton baseball team opened its three-game CCIW series with North Central College on Friday with the Thunder earning a 9-5 victory. Today's game was moved from North Central to Wheaton's Lee Pfund Stadium due to recent rains in the Chicagoland area over the past few days. Wheaton 7-16/3-6 CCIW) and North Central (10-12/3-6 CCIW) will conclude their three-game series on Saturday at 1 PM with a doubleheader at Lee Pfund Stadium.
Wheaton earned the 9-5 win in today's contest as the Thunder scored nine runs, on 12 hits, with no errors and North Central scored five runs, on 11 hits with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Evan Rahn (2-4) earned the win in eight strong innings of work. He allowed two runs, scattering nine hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.
Alex MaLossi pitched an inning of relief, allowing three runs, on two hits, with one strikeout and one walk.
Each of the nine batters in the Wheaton lineup today collected at least one hit in a well-rounded effort for the Thunder. Junior
Justin Swider was 2-for-4 at the plate, with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI.
Desmond Cato (PICTURED LEFT) was 2-for-4, with a walk, a RBI and a run scored. Sophomore
Matt Krause was 2-for-5, with a run scored and a RBI.
Krause gave Wheaton a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when he hit a RBI-single through the left side of the infield. Wheaton added two more runs in the top of the third inning as Swider and Cato each collected hits to drive in a run apiece. The Thunder increased its lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning as
Matt Schappell hit a RBI-single into centerfield. The Thunder broke the game open with nine runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a commanding 9-0 lead. The sixth inning was highlighted by a two run-single by
Taylor Howe and a pair of RBI singles by
Phil Tuttle and Swider. The Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and added two more in the ninth inning to account for the 9-5 final score.
