PICTURED ABOVE: Nick Johnson struck out eight batters in 3.2 innings of work in Wheaton's 7-5 win over Saint John's on Friday night.

Tucson, Ariz. - The Thunder baseball team rallied to earn a doubleheader split against the Saint John's Johnnies on Friday night in Tucson. After seeing a big lead disappear in a 13-7 game one loss, Wheaton saw a 4-1 lead quickly turn into a 5-4 deficit in the nightcap. The Thunder responded with three runs in the top of the top of the sixth inning to earn a 7-5 game two victory. With the win Wheaton is now 5-4 on the season while the Johnnies move to 1-3.

Wheaton fell behind 1-0 after three innings in the nightcap but Kyle Mellinger got Wheaton back to level footing with a two-out single scoring Josh Kimmel. Andrew Laucella followed with an RBI triple to center field and scored two batters later on JD Carpenter's single giving Wheaton a 4-1 lead. The Johnnies quickly responded using a three-run home run to tie the game and pushed across one more run to take a 5-4 lead after four innings.

Laucella (PICTURED RIGHT) started a Wheaton rally in the top of the sixth inning with a leadoff double to left field. Laucella somehow found a way to avoid a tag advancing from second to third base which allowed Clay Morrison to reach base on a fielder's choice ahead of Carpenter being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Seth Meyer tied the game with a single to left field and Nick Mailman gave Wheaton a lead on a squeeze bunt. Two batters later, Ben Brittain coaxed a walk to drive in a run to give Wheaton a 7-5 edge.

A two-out single and a pair of walks loaded the bases for the Johnnies in the home half of the sixth inning but Thunder reliever Nick Johnson slammed the door on the rally with a strikeout to end the inning. Johnson earned the victory of the Thunder in 3.2 innings of relief, allowing just two hits and striking out eight including his final strikeout to finish the 7-5 Thunder victory.

In the lidlifter, Wheaton jumped out to a quick lead with a seven-run second inning highlighted by Jacob Zeller's bases-loaded double. The Johnnies came back with a seven-run inning of their own to tie the game in the top of the fourth inning and used a six-run seventh inning to take the 13-7 victory.

Laucella was 2-for-4 in game two with a double and a triple. Meyer also recorded a two-hit game in the nightcap. Mellinger and Zeller each had two-hit games in game one.

Wheaton will wrap up its week-long stay in the desert on Saturday morning with a 9 AM (MST) game against Bethany Lutheran College.