PICTURED ABOVE: Christina Sandstedt collected three hits, including a home run on Tuesday.

Bloomington, Ill. – The Wheaton softball team had its nine-game win streak snapped on Tuesday afternoon as 11^th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan swept the Thunder in a key CCIW doubleheader. The Titans rallied to win game one 3-2 and IWU won the nightcap 7-2. Wheaton is now 23-14 overall and 11-3 in CCIW play.

Illinois Wesleyan (33-7, 12-2 CCIW) earned the 2015 CCIW Softball Championship with today's sweep and the Titans earned the right to host the 2015 CCIW Softball Tournament this week in Bloomington. Third-seeded Wheaton will face second-seeded North Central on Thursday at noon in the first game of the tournament. Top-seeded Illinois Wesleyan will entertain fourth-seeded Augustana at 2:00 p.m. in Thursday's other opening game. TOURNAMENT WEBSITE

Illinois Wesleyan defeated the Thunder 3-2 in today's opener as the Titans scored three runs, on five hits with no errors and Wheaton tallied two runs, on four hits, with no errors. Thunder starting pitcher Katie Thornton (14-8) took the loss in 6-2/3 innings of work. The junior allowed three runs, on five hits, with eight strikeouts and six walks. Junior Christina Sandstedt was 1-for-2 with a home run.

Illinois Wesleyan hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. The Thunder responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Sandstedt. IWU tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. A solo home run with two outs for Illinois Wesleyan's Danielle Smith in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Titans the walk-off victory. The IWU win setup a winner-take-all situation in the nightcap with the winner of game two earning the 2015 CCIW Championship.

Illinois Wesleyan won the second 7-2 as the Titans scored seven runs, on nine hits, with five errors and Wheaton plated two runs, on three hits with three errors. Starting pitcher Kendall Kehres (1-5) took the loss in three innings as she allowed four runs on four hits, with two walks. Abby Butler worked three innings of relief, allowing three runs, on four hits, with one walk. Thornton tossed two innings of scoreless relief, with one hits, one walk and two strikeouts. Sandstedt collected two of Wheaton's three hits in the game

The Titans gained the lead with five runs in the top of the third inning to take a 5-0 lead. Wheaton cut the hosts' lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Abby Coster drove in a run with a sacrifice hit and Alyssa Leonard also drove in a run in the fourth inning. The Titans added two runs in the top of the fifth inning to account for the 7-2 final score.