GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Justin Swider went 1-1 with two walks, a run scored and an RBI during Wheaton's 14-3 loss on Wednesday.

River Forest, Ill. - The Wheaton baseball team dropped a mercy-rule shortened seven inning non-conference matchup 14-3 to Concordia University Chicago on Wednesday afternoon at Cougar Field in River Forest, IL. Concordia-Chicago, ranked third in the most recent D3Baseball.com poll, improved to 27-3 on the season, while the Thunder fell to 18-14.

The Thunder lost while scoring three runs on five hits and four errors, while the Cougars posted 14 runs, 15 hits and two errors. Sophomore Josh Arevalo (4 - 2) started and took the loss for Wheaton. He allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits with two strikeouts and one walk in four and ? innings pitched. Miles Veth came on with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning and allowed five runs (one earned) on two hits and one walk in ? of an inning. Casey Moll allowed four unearned runs on three hits and one walk without retiring a batter, and Alex MaLossi struck out one and allowed one hit in pitching the final ? of an inning for Wheaton.
 
Wheaton took an early 1-0 lead and played the Cougars to a 2-2 tie through four innings, but Concordia used a three-run fifth inning and a nine-run sixth to put the game out of reach.
 
In the top of the first inning, junior Matt Krause doubled with one out and scored on senior Justin Swider's double to give Wheaton a 1-0 lead. But the Cougars answered back with single runs in the second and third innings to make the score 2-1.
 
Swider walked to lead off the top of the fourth inning for the Thunder, then stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. He scored on a one-out single by John Jensen-Johnson to tie the game, 2-2.
 
After the first four Concordia batters reached base in the bottom of the fifth to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead, Wheaton cut down two runners at home on force outs. Steve Zubrzycki then doubled with two outs to bring home two more runs and knock Arevalo out of the game with the score 5- 2. The game opened up in the bottom of the sixth, as Concordia used six hits, two walks, two errors, two wild pitches, a balk and a hit batter to score nine runs in the inning and make it a 14-2 game.
 
Wheaton freshman Johnny Peltz knocked in Kyle Mellinger with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning to close out the scoring in the 14-3 loss.
 
Pitcher Nick Barnhill (1-0) allowed two runs on four hits in six innings to earn the win for Concordia.
 
Wheaton will begin a three-game home series with CCIW foe North Central on Friday at 6 p.m. at Lee Pfund Stadium. Friday night's game will be Chick-fil-a Night at the Ballpark.