PICTURED ABOVE: Daniel Bayer allowed three runs in a complete game victory over Carthage on Saturday.

Kenosha, Wis. - The Thunder baseball team capped a key CCIW series with a sweep of a doubleheader at Carthage on Saturday. Wheaton used a four-run eighth inning to pull away for a 9-3 victory in game one and earned a 7-2 victory in the nightcap. With today's two wins, Wheaton records its first season sweep of Carthage since the CCIW adopted the three-game series format in 2000. Wheaton is now 18-12 overall and 8-6 in CCIW play. Carthage falls to 13-13 overall and 6-7 in conference action.

In the first game, Wheaton scored nine runs on 13 hits with two errors while Carthage scored three runs on seven hits with three errors. Wheaton starter Daniel Bayer threw a complete game for the Thunder, improving to 4-2 this season. The senior right-hander allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

After Carthage took an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, Johnny Peltz started the Wheaton second inning with a single and stole second base before coming around to score on a single by Clay Morrison. A Carthage error in the top of the fourth inning opened the door for the Thunder to take the lead for good. John McKenna's sacrifice fly brought home Morrison with the tying run and Evan Ogden scored the go-ahead run on a single by Noah Ritchie.

McKenna (PICTURED RIGHT) added to Wheaton's lead in the top of the sixth inning with a two-run home run to right center to push the lead to 5-2. After a solo home run for the Red Men in the bottom of the second, a two-out single by Ritchie in the top of the eighth inning jump started a two-out rally that saw Wheaton push across four runs. Nick Mailman brought in the first two runs with a double to right field scoring Ritchie, and then advanced to third base on a throwing error that allowed Kyle Trivits to also score. Ben Brittain followed with a double to left field and scored when Peter Newman reached base on a Carthage throwing error.

Johnny Peltz led the Thunder offense with three hits and Nick Mailman, Ben Brittain, John McKenna and Noah Ritchie also had multi-hit games. McKenna had a game-high three runs batted in.

In the nightcap, Wheaton jumped on top in the top of the second inning when McKenna and Brittain hit consecutive doubles but Carthage responded in the home half with a solo home run to tie the game 1-1. Wheaton retook the lead in the top of the third inning when Peltz ripped a double down the left field line scoring Trivits and Jacob Zeller to give Wheaton a 3-1 lead. A two-out Ritchie single in the top of the fourth inning again started a Wheaton rally that led to a big lead. After an infield single by Trivits, Mailman poked a single into shallow left field and followed by stealing second base. Zeller brought in both runners with a single to left, giving Wheaton a 6-1 edge.

A two-out Carthage error allowed Wheaton to add a run in the top of the sixth inning but Carthage would answer with a run in the home half of the sixth inning to account for the final score of 7-2.

Michael McCraith threw eight innings, striking out nine and allowing just four hits. The Carthage run in the bottom of the second inning snapped a streak of 21 straight scoreless innings for the sophomore right-hander, the longest streak since Trey Martin went 29 straight scoreless innings during the 2014 season. Nick Johnson pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout to close the game.

Mailman, Zeller, Brittain and Seth Meyer each had two hits with John McKenna tallying three hits in the nightcap. Peltz drove home two runs and Trivits scored a game-high three runs.

Wheaton will next be in action on Wednesday when the Thunder travel to Augustana to open a three-game series against the Vikings. First pitch in Rock Island is scheduled for 6 pm.