PICTURED ABOVE: Michael Kaufman did not allow a hit after the fourth inning in a complete game shutout of North Park on Saturday afternoon.
Chicago, Ill. - Behind a dominant pitching performance by
Michael Kaufman, the Thunder baseball team earned a doubleheader split and a crucial series victory over North Park. Kaufman allowed only four hits to lead the Thunder to a 3-0 victory in the rubber match of the series. North Park claimed game one of the doubleheader with a 9-5 victory. Wheaton is now 14-18 overall and 8-7 in CCIW play. North Park falls to 15-16 overall and 5-10 in conference action.
Wheaton dropped the lidlifter by scoring five runs on nine hits with five errors while the Vikings scored nine runs on eight hits with one error. In the nightcap, Wheaton scored three runs on eight hits with no errors while North Park was shut out on four hits with two errors.
All the action in the nightcap came in the top of the fifth inning when the Thunder blitzed the Vikings for a three-run rally that started with two outs and the bases empty.
Kyle Trivits started the rally with a seeing-eye single through the right side which was followed by an RBI triple off the bat of
Matt Schappell to score Trivits with the game's first run.
Josh Kimmel followed by beating out an infield single that plated Schappell. Kimmel then scampered home on
Kyle Mellinger's double to right-center to make the score 3-0.
Three runs would be more than enough for Thunder lefty
Michael Kaufman. The junior southpaw pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the second inning. The Vikings would put two on with just one out after a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth inning but a strikeout and a groundout would preserve the scoreless tie. The fourth inning single would be the final hit of the night for the hosts as Kaufman would retire the final 10 hitters he faced to give Wheaton the series win. Kaufman allowed just four hits with no walks and struck out five in the 91-pitch complete game effort.
North Park took advantage of a slew of Thunder defensive miscues to earn the win in game one of the doubleheader. Wheaton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-run double by Mellinger (PICTURED RIGHT) who later scored on an errant throw. The Vikings would erase the early Thunder lead in the bottom of the first by scoring three runs on just one hit due to four Thunder errors. The Vikings would add a pair in the bottom of the second and third innings and one in the fourth inning to increase their lead to 8-3.
Wheaton scored a run in top of the fifth inning on a double steal
Johnny Peltz and
Josh Kimmel to plate a run. A sacrifice fly by Trivits in the top of the sixth cut the Viking lead to 8-5. The Vikings would add a run in the eighth to win 9-5.
Wheaton is now off until Friday, April 24 when the Thunder open a three-game series against Augustana at 6 PM at Lee Pfund Stadium.
