PICTURED ABOVE: Matt Schappell was two-for-three in Wheaton's loss on Thursday night.

Carol Stream, Ill. - The Thunder baseball team lost its home opener on Thursday night with a 14-1 run-rule defeat at the hands of the Rockford Regents. Wheaton fell behind 6-0 in the first inning and a half and could not take advantage of opportunities on the offensive end while falling to 4-8 on the season. Rockford improves to 7-4. Wheaton will open its participation in the Wheaton Invitational tomorrow when the Thunder hosts Saint Mary's (Minn.) at 5 PM at Lee Pfund Stadium.

Rockford scored 14 runs on 12 hits with no errors. Wheaton scored its run on seven hits with one error. Josiah Longenecker took the loss for the Thunder, allowing six earned runs in 1.2 innings. Michael Murray earned the win for the Regents allowing one run on four hits in five innings.

Rockford used a two-out single in the top of the first to take an early lead and after Wheaton stranded two runners in the home half of the first, the Regents added five more runs in the top of the second to take a 6-0 lead before the Thunder could crack the board in the bottom of the second.

Matt Krause's leadoff walk turned into a run two batters later when Kyle Trivits singled up the middle to bring home the Thunder shortstop. Wheaton's rally would be stalled with a double play later in the inning.

Dan Bayer shut down the Regent attack until a two-out error in the top of the fifth led to two more Regent runs. Rockford added one more run in the top of the sixth and then blew the game open with five runs in the top of the seventh inning. Wheaton would load the bases in the bottom of the seventh but could not get a run home before the inning ended.