PICTURED ABOVE: Christina Sandstedt was 3-for-3 at the plate for the Thunder in the NCAA Tournament opener.

Angola, Ind. – The Wheaton softball team used strong offensive output, impressive defense and an outstanding pitching performance to defeat University of Chicago 7-1 in the opening day of the NCAA Division III Softball Regional at Trine University. Wheaton will face Trine University on Friday at 11:00 AM (EDT) in a winner's bracket game of the tournament. Trine defeated Greenville 5-3 in today's other game. Chicago will face Greenville on Friday at 1:30 p.m. (EDT) in an elimination game of the tournament.

Wheaton scored seven runs against the Maroons, with 13 Thunder hits and one error. Chicago scored one run, on four hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher Katie Thornton (24-8) earned the win in seven innings. Thornton (PICTURED LEFT) allowed one unearned run, on just four hits, with four strikeouts and two walks.

Senior Christina Sandstedt was 3-for-3 with a walk. She drove in one run and scored a run. Megan Neuhaus was 2-for-3, with a run scored, a RBI and a stolen base. Emily Bonga was 2-for-4 with a run scored and leftfielder Alyssa Leonard was 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Thunder head coach Katie East noted following the game, "We came out ready to play today. Our goal was to put the pressure on them by hitting every inning and have great defense and that is what we did. Our left side was a wall today. Chicago kept hitting it to the left side and nothing got through."

Wheaton struck early as Leonard opened the game with a leadoff single and she advanced to second on a sacrifice by Megan Neuhaus and advanced to third on a fly out by Kelly Thornton. Katie Thornton drew a walk to put runners at first and third. Ellen Radandt struck the first blow for the Thunder as her high fly ball was lost in the sun by three Chicago fielders for a bloop single that brought Leonard home for a 1-0 lead. Christina Sandstedt followed with a clutch single to leftfield that brought Katie Thornton home for a 2-0 Thunder lead. Chicago was unable to capitalize on a first-inning single as Wheaton led 2-0 through one inning.

Sandstedt said of Wheaton's strong start with two runs in the first inning, "When we are told that we are the visitors we like to come out and jump right on it and get runs right away for Katie [Thornton] before we even go out onto the field that is always the goal." She added, "We were very motivated in this game to start this tournament the way that we ended our last tournament." 

Wheaton loaded the bases in the top of the second inning, but Chicago pitcher Jordan Poole managed a strikeout with two outs to get the Maroons out of the jam as the score remained 2-0 through two innings.

Sandstedt continued her strong day with a single to rightfield in the top of the third, but Poole again worked her way out of trouble to hold the Thunder lead to 2-0. Chicago advanced runners to first and third with two outs in the bottom of the third inning, but Thornton induced a groundout to keep the Maroons off the board.

Hannah Clark led off the top of the fourth inning with a walk. Neuhaus hit a bunt single and Clark deftly sped from first to third base on the bunt as Chicago was unable to cover third base on the play. Neuhaus stole second base to put runners at second and third with one out. A failed pickoff attempt by the Maroons sailed into leftfield and allowed Clark to score and Neuhaus scampered to third base. Kelly Thornton's (PICTURED RIGHT) long sacrifice fly brought Neuhaus home for a 4-0 Wheaton lead in the top of the fourth.

Wheaton's offensive explosion continued in the top of the fifth inning with three more runs to increase the lead to 7-0. Sandstedt opened the fifth inning with a single and Bonga followed with a single to leftfield that sent Sandstedt to second base. A Chicago error on a sacrifice bunt by Clark loaded the bases for the 'Orange and Blue' with one out. Bonga and Sandstedt each scored on UChicago wild pitches and a single through the middle of the infield by Neuhaus brought Clark (PICTURED LEFT) home for a 7-0 Wheaton lead.

Chicago's Devan Parkison hit a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth and a Wheaton error on the play allowed her to advance to third base. Parkison crossed the plate on a wild pitch to score Chicago's first run for a 7-1 Thunder lead.

Sandstedt drew a leadoff walk in the top of the sixth inning and Katie Yergler followed with a triple to rightfield, however Chicago threw out Sandstedt at home on a terrific relay throw from the Maroons as Wheaton's 7-1 lead held into the bottom of the sixth inning. Katie Thornton induced three-up-and-three-down for the Maroons in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Wheaton was hitless in the top of the seventh to send the matchup to the bottom of the seventh and the Maroons in need of a furious rally.  Thornton forced Chicago into three quick groundouts to end the game and give the Thunder its first NCAA Tournament victory in its first appearance.

Chicago starting pitcher Jordan Poole (8-5) worked 4-1/3 innings, allowed seven runs, including six earned runs, on 10 hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Poole earned a 1-0 victory and threw a no-hitter against the Thunder when the two teams met at Wheaton's Ruth Leedy Field on April 29. Jordyne Prussak pitched 2-2/3 innings of scoreless relief, scattering three hits, with one walk and three strikeouts.

Kathleen Kohm hit a double for the Maroons. Anna Woolery, Kristin Lopez and Kathleen Kohm added singles for Chicago.

Note Worthy: Katie Thornton has not allowed an earned run in her last 27-2/3 innings of work in the circle…with three base hits today, Sandstedt now has 172 hits in her career for the second-highest hit total in program history and she is just three short of Lesley Guenard's school record 175 career hits…Leonard's two hits today has her in fourth place on the all-time hit list with 164, just two hits behind Abbi Cooley (166) in third place…Yergler's triple today was her eighth of the season, the second-highest single-season total in school history and her 10 career triples is fourth all-time.