GAME STATS 1 | GAME STATS 2 PICTURED ABOVE: Katie Thortonton allowed just one earned run in 10 innings of work on Thursday and also collected three hits on the day.

Naperville, Ill. - The Thunder softball team dropped both ends of a CCIW doubleheader at North Central on Thursday. The Cardinals earned the 3-1 win in the first game and handed the Thunder a 4-3 defeat in game two.
 
Wheaton is now 13-13 on the year, with a 1-7 record in conference play. North Central, ranked 16th in the most recent NFCA Division III Coaches Poll, is now 25-5 overall and 8-2 in CCIW play.
 
The Cardinals picked up the 3-1 win in today's opener as the hosts scored three runs, in three hits, with two errors and Wheaton plated one run, on four hits, with three errors. Sophomore pitcher Katie Thornton (5-6) took the loss in the first game for Wheaton, despite not allowing an earned run. She struck out eight and walked one, while allowing three hits and three unearned runs in six innings. Thornton also scored the lone run for the Thunder and collected two hits in three at bats.
 
Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Thornton led off with a double and scored two batters later on a groundout by junior Becky Leone. The Thunder held on to their one-run lead through the fifth inning, with Thornton allowing the Cardinals only one hit to that point.
 
But she hit Cecie Portillo with a pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth, and the North Central shortstop eventually scored to tie the game after a sacrifice bunt and two Wheaton errors. Thornton struck out Cardinals pitcher Vlasta Mangia with the bases loaded and one out, but then allowed a two-run single to Brooke Kehoe to make the score 3-1.
 
After Leone singled and sophomore Emily Bonga reached on an error with one out in the seventh inning, junior Abby Coster sacrificed the runners to second and third to give the Thunder one last shot. But sophomore Katie Yergler grounded out to end the threat and the game.
 
Mangia (9-3) allowed four hits and one run for the Cardinals. She struck out four and walked two to earn the win for North Central.
 
North Central secured the sweep in game two by scoring four runs, on 11 hits, with one error and Wheaton plated three runs, on five hits, with one error. Freshman Abby Butler (6-3) started the second game in the circle for the Thunder and allowed six hits and two runs in three innings to take the loss. Marissa Voss came on in relief, facing three batters. Thornton finished the game with four strong innings.
 
North Central took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly, but Kayla Antle was tagged out at home for the third out as the Thunder avoided more damage. The Cardinals added a run in the second inning, but Wheaton made the score 2-1 in the third when sophomore Lyndsey Pritchard scored on Christina Sandstedt's groundout to first base.
 
The Thunder came to bat trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Sandstedt's two-out single drove in Yergler to cut the deficit to one run. North Central pitcher Andrea Starr then induced a groundout by senior Stacey Cladis to end the threat and give North Central the series sweep.
 
Starr (11-2) allowed five hits and three runs (one earned) while striking out three and walking two in seven innings to earn the win for the Cardinals.
 
The Thunder will travel to Decatur for a CCIW doubleheader at Millikin on Saturday at 1 p.m.