Wheaton, Ill. – The Thunder softball team hosted Wartburg College on Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader to open up the home portion of the schedule at Ruth Leedy Field. Wartburg edged the Thunder 2-1 in the first game and the Knights pulled off the sweep with a 9-7 win in the second game.
Wartburg won the first game, 2-1 as the Thunder Knights scored two runs, on seven hits with no errors and Wheaton tallied one run, on four hits, with one error. Thunder starting pitcher
Kendall Kehres worked all seven innings in taking the tough loss. Kehres allowed two runs, including one earned run, on seven hits, with zero walks allowed and she struck out three. Freshman
Sage Miller collected two of Wheaton's four hits in the game, as she was 2-for-3 at the plate.
Wheaton took an early 1-0 lead as
Hannah Clark led off the bottom of the first with a leadoff single through the middle of the infield. Clark scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead. The Knights tied the game in the top of the third inning with an unearned run. Wartburg accounted the for the 2-1 final score in the top of the sixth inning as the Knights scored the game-winning run in the inning.
The Knights won today's second game with nine runs, on 11 hits, with three errors and Wheaton tallied seven runs, on seven hits with four errors. Kehres (2-6) took the loss in seven innings. She allowed nine runs, including eight earned runs, with 11 hits. Kehres walked four and struck out two. Catcher
Lauren Meurer was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, one run scored and a RBI. Miller was 2-for-4, with a double and two runs scored.
Ali Kent hit a double in the game and drove in two runs.
Wheaton tallied two run in the bottom of the first inning to gain the early 2-0 lead.
Julia Arthur drew a bases loaded walk to drive in one run and a fielder's choice hit by Meurer drove in Wheaton' second run of the inning. The Knights scored five runs in the top of the third inning to take a 5-2 advantage.
The Knights added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to gain a 7-2 lead.
Melody Rodriguez scored an unearned run for the Thunder in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut Wartburg's lead to 7-3.
Maddy Bonetto drew a walk in the fifth inning and scored two at bats later on a wild pitch to trim the Knights' advantage to 7-4.
Wartburg extended its lead to 8-4 with a run in the top of the sixth inning. Wheaton countered with a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the guests' lead to 8-5. Miller hit a two double in the sixth inning and scored on the next at bat off a Wartburg error.
Wartburg added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 9-5 lead. Wheaton added two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to account for the 9-7 final score.
Ali Kent hit a two-out triple down the rightfield line to drive in two runs in the inning.
Wheaton hosts Aurora Monday for a doubleheader at 3:00 p.m. Monday's game is a rescheduled twinbill that was originally slated for March 16.
