GAME STATS 1 | GAME STATS 2 Winter Garden, Fla. – The Wheaton Thunder softball team extended its win streak to five games on Thursday with a pair of wins in the second-to-last day of its 10-game trip to Central Florida. The Thunder defeated Wesleyan University (Conn.) 4-3 in eight innings to open Thursday's play. Wheaton was a 6-4 winner against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Thursday afternoon. Wheaton (6-2) will conclude its trip on Friday night with games against Simmons College and Oswego State.

The Thunder earned the 4-3 extra-inning win against Wesleyan by scoring four runs, on seven hits, with one error and Wesleyan plated three runs, on nine hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher Marissa Voss allowed three runs, including two earned runs, on eight hits, with four walks. Abby Butler earned the win in two innings of relief as she held the Cardinals scoreless, with one hit and one strikeout. Katie Yergler was 3-of-4, with a walk in the game with two runs and one RBI. Stacey Cladis was 2-for-4, with a triple and a run driven in.  

The Thunder scored a run in the top of the first inning against the Cardinals as Yergler drew a leadoff walk and scored two batters later on a double by sophomore Christina Sandstedt. Wesleyan tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Wheaton regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning as Yergler hit a leadoff single and scored thanks to a triple by Cladis. Yergler added a RBI-single in the top of the sixth inning to increase the Thunder lead to 3-1. The Cardinals plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3 and send the contest to extra innings. A Wesleyan error with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning allowed Emily Bonga to score the game-winning run to give the Thunder the victory.

Wheaton bested RPI 6-4 as the Thunder scored six runs, on eight hits, with no errors and RPI tallied four runs, on eight hits, with one error. Butler pitched six innings to earn the victory. She scored four runs, on eight hits, with two walks and two strikeouts. Voss worked one scoreless inning to earn the save. Sandstedt was 3-for-3 at the plate, with two runs scored and two driven in. She belted a triple for the 'Orange and Blue'.

RPI took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning. Wheaton plated five runs in the bottom of the first to take a 5-1 lead. Sandstedt hit a two-run double in the first and Leonard belted a two-run triple in the inning to highlight Wheaton's effort. RPI scored a run in the top of the third inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 5-2 and Wheaton countered with a run in the bottom of the third inning to take a 6-2 lead. RPI plated two runs in the top of the sixth inning to account for the 6-4 final score.