PICTURED ABOVE: Matt Schappell had four hits with a run and stolen base in Wheaton's 7-3 win over Calvin on Tuesday night.
Carol Stream, Ill. - A six-run sixth inning and a strong pitching performance helped the Thunder baseball team to its fifth consecutive victory with a 7-3 victory over Calvin on Tuesday night. With the victory, the Thunder improve to 18-18 on the season, reaching the .500 mark for the first time since March 12. Calvin falls to 19-16.
Wheaton plated seven runs on 12 hits with no errors. Calvin was limited to three hits but scored three runs with two errors.
Tom Bishop earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Bishop allowed no hits and struck out one.
Daniel Bayer started the game, throwing three innings with no hits and one strikeout.
Casey Flitsch allowed three runs in two innings of relief with two strikeouts.
Josiah Longenecker earned his first career save with one strikeout in two innings of scoreless relief.
After Wheaton stranded a runner in the bottom of the fourth, Calvin scored first with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. A bunt single in the inning gave the Knights their first hit of the game and was also the only hit of the inning as Calvin took advantage of four walks in the inning.
The Thunder responded with a rally in bottom of the sixth started by a
Kyle Trivits single. A
Matt Schappell double and
Josh Kimmel walk loaded the bases before
Kyle Mellinger drove a sacrifice fly to deep left center field. Trivits scored easily and Schappell also came around to score when Kimmel was thrown out at second base.
Johnny Peltz restarted the rally with a single and later scored the tying run on a passed ball. After
Peter Newman's RBI-single gave Wheaton a 4-3 lead,
Tyler Sigler (PICTURED RIGHT) lifted a triple into the right field corner and scored on the play on error making it 6-3.
Andrew Laucella added an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to prove the final tally.
Matt Schappell paced the Thunder at the plate with four hits and a stolen base. Sigler was 2-for-4 with a triple and two stolen bases.
Wheaton will be back in action on Wednesday night with a 6 PM game at Benedictine.
