PICTURED ABOVE: Jacob Zeller was 3-for-4 at the plate on Tuesday on Tuesday night.
Lisle, Ill. - The Wheaton baseball team earned a 7-3 victory at Benedictine University (15-14) on Tuesday night to sweep the season series with the Eagles. Wheaton, now 20-14 on the season, won the earlier non-conference matchup between the two programs 12-11 on March 29 in Carol Stream, Illinois.
Wheaton earned tonight's 7-3 win on seven runs, with 10 hits and two errors; Benedictine tallied three runs, on nine hits, with three errors. Senior Josh Arevalo (3-3) earned the win in two innings of work. Arevalo (PICTURED LEFT) held the Eagles scoreless, on two hits, with two strikeouts and no walks. Reliever Casey Balikian allowed two earned runs in two innings. He scattered three hits, with two walks. Freshman Michael McCraith worked 2-1/3 innings of relief as he allowed one earned run, on three hits with one walk and one strikeout. Senior Top Bishop pitched 2/3 of an inning of scoreless relief as he held the hosts hitless with one walk. Caleb Selk earned his first collegiate save in two innings of scoreless relief as he held Benedictine to just one hit with one walk and a strikeout.
Thunder outfielder Jacob Zeller was 3-for-4 with a walk, a run scored, a RBI and a stolen base. Andrew Laucella had a 2-for-3 effort at the plate tonight with a walk and a run scored. Catcher Kyle Trivets had Wheaton's third multi-hit effort of the night as he was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Freshman designated hitter Clay Morrison belted a double for the guests.
Benedictine's Michael Mulder (0-1) took the loss as he allowed five runs, including four earned runs. The Eagles' starter allowed just one hit, but walked three Thunder batters as he only faved five batters in the game. Jacob Trumps pitched six innings of relief as he allowed one run, on seven this with nine strikeouts. Christopher Nesbitt pitched three innings of relief for the hosts as he allowed one run, on two hits, with three strikeouts. Tanner Kiser led the Eagles' offense with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate as he scored a run.
Wheaton registered five runs in the top of the first inning to take the early 5-0 lead. The Thunder outburst was highlighted by a two-run double for Morrison. Evan Ogden hit a RBI-single and senior Kyle Mellinger drew a bases-loaded walk to register a run in the five-run first.
The Thunder increased the lead to 6-0 with a run in the top of the third inning as Zeller drove in the run with a RBI-single. Benedictine tallied two runs off of Balikian in the bottom of the third inning to trim Wheaton's advantage to 6-2.
The Eagles added another run in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 6-3. Wheaton tallied a run in the top of the ninth inning as Mellinger was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring Trivits home for the run to account for the 7-3 final score.
The Thunder will open a three-game CCIW series on Friday night at North Park at 6:00 p.m. The series will move to Wheaton's Lee Pfund Stadium on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader between the two conference rivals.
Note Worthy: Tonight's win gave Wheaton a 20-win season for the third-consecutive campaign and the seventh time in program history…it marked the second time in program history that Wheaton has accomplished three consecutive 20-win seasons.
