GAME STATS Carol Stream, Ill. – The Wheaton baseball team stepped out of CCIW play on Wednesday night to host the University of Chicago in a non-conference matchup at Lee Pfund Stadium. Chicago (21-11) earned a 12-1 victory in seven innings.

Chicago scored 12 runs, on 17 hits, with two errors and Wheaton plated one run, on four hits, with no errors. Thunder starting pitcher Miles Veth (0-4) took the loss in 2-2/3 innings of work as he allowed five runs, on seven hits, with one walk. Matt MaLossi tossed 2-1/3 innings of relief, allowing five runs, on five hits, with one walk. Sean McKenna worked one inning, allowing one run, on two hits. Alex MaLossi pitched in the seventh inning for Wheaton, allowing one run, on three hits, with two strikeouts.

Junior catcher Jake Portugal was 1-for-3 with Wheaton's lone extra-base hit, a seventh-inning home run. Kyle Mellinger, Phil Tuttle and Josh Kimmel added singles to help account for Wheaton's four hits in the game.

The Maroons scored twice in the top of the second inning to take an early lead the guests added three more runs in the top of the third inning to extend the Chicago lead to 5-0. Chicago scored a run in the fourth inning and plated five more in the top of the sixth inning to increase its lead to 11-0. The Maroons scored one run in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Portugal belted a home run over the fence in left field to give Wheaton its lone run of the game.

Wheaton falls to 12-23 on the season. The Thunder will start a crucial three-game series with Carthage on Friday afternoon in a 3 PM start at Augie Schmidt Field in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Wheaton and Carthage enter this weekend's series in a three-way tie with North Central for fourth place in the CCIW standings and Elmhurst (7-11) is one game behind those three teams. All four teams are battling for a spot in the upcoming four-team CCIW Tournament as Wheaton faces Carthage this weekend and North Central takes on Elmhurst in a three-game set. For the Thunder to earn a spot in the tournament next weekend Wheaton needs to take at least two of three games this weekend against Carthage and North Central must win at least one game against Elmhurst.