GAME STATS Bloomington, Ill. – The Thunder baseball team concluded its season on Friday, falling to North Park, 3-2 in an elimination game of the 2013 CCIW Tournament. Wheaton ends the season with a 14-27 record, making the four-team CCIW Tournament for only the third time in school history.
North Park (21-20) scored three runs, on five hits, with no errors and Wheaton tallied two runs, on eight hits, with one error. Thunder starting pitcher
Evan Rahn (4-6) took the loss in eight innings of work. Rahn (PICTURED LEFT) allowed three runs, on five hits, with three strikeouts and four walks. North Park starting pitcher Nick Vidas (6-3) earned the win in nine innings as he allowed two runs, on eight hits, with six strikeouts and one walk.
Senior
Phil Tuttle was 2-for-4, with a run scored.
Michael Szalach was 2-for-4, with both of Wheaton's RBI in the game.
The Thunder ended the bottom of the first inning on a well-hit ball to
John Jensen-Johnson who sparked a well-turned double play. Leftfielder
Justin Swider made a diving catch in leftfield in the bottom of the second inning that prevented a Viking base hit.
Wheaton was first to score with two runs in the top of the third inning.
Phil Tuttle initiated things for Wheaton with a two-out single to right centerfield and
Justin Swider hit a double down the left field line.
Michael Szalach drove in both Swider and Tuttle on a single through the left side of the infield.
North Park tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run double to centerfield in the bottom of the fourth inning. However, an outstanding defensive play by
Phil Tuttle who grabbed a liner and turned it into a double play to end the fourth inning. North Park capitalized on a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring two batters later on a RBI single to give the Vikings a 3-2 lead. That one Vikings run would hold up and secure the win for North Park, who advances to play at noon on Saturday.
