PICTURED ABOVE: Christina Sandstedt belted three home runs on Tuesday, including a grand slam in game-one.

Wheaton, Ill. – The red-hot Wheaton softball team remained in first place in the CCIW standings with a sweep of Elmhurst (18-12, 3-5 CCIW) in a CCIW doubleheader at home on Tuesday afternoon. The Thunder topped the Bluejays 10-1 in the first game and Wheaton earned a 10-4 victory in the nightcap of today's twinbill that was played with windy conditions.

Wheaton improves to 19-12 on the year and 9-1 in CCIW play. The Thunder will travel to North Park on Saturday for a doubleheader with the Vikings at 1:00 p.m.

Wheaton won the opener today, 10-1 as the Thunder scored 10 runs, on nine hits, with one error and the Bluejays scored one run, on three hits and one error. Thunder starting pitcher Katie Thornton (PICTURED LEFT) earned the win in five innings. Thornton allowed one unearned run, on three hits, with five strikeouts and one walk. Thornton helped her own cause with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with a double. Senior Ellen Radandt was 2-for-3 with a home run in the game. Christina Sandstedt was 2-for-3 with a grand slam. Becky Leone was 1-for-2 with a home run.

The Thunder took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run home run by Radandt (PICTURED RIGHT). The lead increased to 5-0 with three runs in the bottom of the second inning as Leone hit a two-run homer in the inning and Thornton added a RBI-single. Elmhurst tallied an unearned run in the top of the third inning for a 5-1 Wheaton lead. Emily Bonga drove in one run in the bottom of the fifth inning and Sandstedt ended the game with a grand slam over the fence in centerfield to account for the 10-1 final score.

Wheaton won the nightcap 10-4 as the Thunder scored 10 runs, on 17 hits, with one error and Elmhurst tallied four runs, on 15 hits, with one error. Thornton (12-7) earned the win in four innings as she scattered seven hits, with one earned run. Abby Butler worked three innings, allowing three runs, on eight hits with two strikeouts. Thornton was 4-for-4 with two home runs in the game as she drove in three runs and scored twice. Leone was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Sandstedt was 2-for-4 with two more home runs and Bonga was 2-for-4.

Wheaton took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to a two-run home run by Thornton and a RBI-double for Bonga. Radandt and Thornton hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the third inning and Sandstedt belted a three-run homer to increase Wheaton's lead to 8-0.

The Bluejays scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and added two more in the bottom of the fifth inning to trim the Thunder lead to 8-3. Elmhurst plated one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut Wheaton's advantage to 8-4. Sandstedt hit a solo home run, her third homer of the day, in the top of the seventh inning. Alyssa Leonard drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning to account for the 10-4 final score.

NOTE WORTHY: The five home runs hit by the Thunder in game-two today set a new Wheaton single-game record...the eight home runs for Wheaton in the doubleheader set a new doubleheader home run record...with consecutive home runs in the first and third innings of game-two, Katie Thornton is the 18th player in Division III history to hit home runs in consecutive plate appearances.