PICTURED ABOVE:  Ben Brittain went 4-for-4 at the plate in Wheaton's 6-5 loss to Marian on Monday.

Tucson, Ariz. - The Thunder baseball team resumed its spring trip on Monday with a 6-5 loss to Marian University. Marian improves to 4-2 with the victory while Wheaton falls to 3-3. Wheaton rallied from a 4-2 deficit with three runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 5-4 lead into the ninth inning. The Sabres rallied to tie the score and plated the winning run on a bang-bang play at the plate following a wild pitch. Wheaton will continue its schedule on Tuesday morning when the Thunder face Aurora University at 9 AM.

Wheaton tallied five runs on 10 hits with two errors. The Sabres scored six runs on 12 hits with two errors. Starter John Schmitz allowed four runs, two earned, on 10 hits over 5.2 innings of work. Christian Bolhuis pitched a scoreless two-thirds of an inning of relief and Nick Johnson allowed two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings of work.

The Thunder got off to a fast start in the top of the first when Ben Brittain's triple plated Josh Kimmel to give Wheaton a 1-0 lead just three hitters into the game. Brittain would come in to score when Kyle Mellinger stole second base and the throw sailed into center field. Wheaton's 2-0 lead would hold until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Sabres leveled the score with a pair of runs.

Marian would take the lead in bottom of the fifth inning with one run before Schmitz prevented any further damage with an inning-ending pickoff at first base. The Sabres added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning but again Schmitz minized the damage with a pickoff of a runner on third base to hold the score at 4-2. The Thunder rallied in the top of the eighth inning when Ben Brittain singled in a run to cut the score to 4-3 and then came around to score on a pinch-hit triple by Andrew Laucella. Clay Morrison's pinch-hit single followed to give the Thunder a 5-4 lead.

A leadoff walk opened the door for the Sabre rally in the bottom of the ninth before a wild pitch and a single tied the score at 5-5. With the tying run in scoring postion, the Thunder set up the force play at home by intentionally walking the bases loaded. Johnson was able to record a strikeout for the second out of the inning but the third strike bounced away from the plate and Marian was able to scamper home with the winning run to narrowly beat the tag.

Ben Brittain spearheaded the Thunder attack with his first career four-hit game to go with two runs scored and two runs driven in. Kyle Trivits added two hits.

Wheaton will next be in action tomorrow morning when the Thunder face Aurora at 9 AM.