Clermont, Fla. – The Wheaton softball team split a pair of games on Monday at the NTC Tournament. The Thunder picked up its first loss of the season on Monday afternoon with a 5-0 loss to Misericordia University. In the evening Wheaton powered its way to an 18-2 victory against New England College.
Wheaton (3-1) will play two more games in the NTC Tournament on Tuesday. The Thunder will face Lees-McRae College at 1:00 p.m. (EST) and The Sage College at 3:00 p.m. (EST).
In today's 5-0 loss against Misericordia, the Cougars scored five runs on 12 hits with no errors and the Thunder were scoreless on three hits with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Katie Thornton (1-1) took her first loss of the season in six innings as she allowed five runs, with one earned run. She allowed 12 hits, with six strikeouts and three walks.
Katie Yergler collected two of Wheaton's three hits in the outing.
In tonight's game against New England College, the Thunder scored 18 runs, on 16 hits with one error and the Pilgrims scored two runs, on four hits with three errors.
Abby Butler (1-0) earned the win in three innings. She allowed two runs, on four hits with one walk.
Jaclyn McLean pitched two innings of scoreless relief, with no hits allowed and one strikeout. Senior
Ellen Radandt was 3-for-4 in the game, with six RBI. Radandt hit two home runs with one double. Yergler was 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI with a double.
Julia Arthur and
Alyssa Leonard each were 2-for-4 in the game.
Wheaton scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning. The inning was highlighted by two-run doubles for
Megan Neuhaus and Radandt. Leonard collected a two-run single in the inning.
New England scored twice in the top of the third inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 9-2, but Wheaton added four more runs in the bottom of the third to increase the Thunder lead to 13-2. Wheaton's four-run inning saw Radandt hit a two-run home run, Leonard had a RBI-single and Yergler belted a RBI-double.
Wheaton added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to account for the 18-2 final score. Radandt hit her second homer of the game in the inning with a two-run blast to leftfield.
Katie Thornton hit a RBI-double in the inning and Yergler drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.