Moline, Ill. - The Thunder baseball team dropped the opening game of a key CCIW series against the Augustana Vikings on Thursday night by a score of 11-1 in eight innings. Wheaton falls to 18-13 overall and 8-7 in the CCIW. Augustana improves to 22-7 and 8-5 in the CCIW. The two teams will conclude their series on Saturday with a doubleheader at Lee Pfund Stadium beginning at 1 pm.

Wheaton scored its one run on four hits and made four errors. Augustana scored 11 runs on 15 hits with one error. Kyle Ferraro took the loss on the mound of the Thunder, allowing four runs, one earned, in five innings of work.

Wheaton took advantage of an early Augustana miscue to take the lead in the top of the first inning. Nick Mailman led off the game with a single to left field and moved around to third on an errant pickoff throw. Mailman later scored on a wild pitch to put Wheaton ahead 1-0. Augustana returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three unearned runs aided by three Thunder errors.

The Vikings would blow the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning with five runs and added two in the eighth inning to end the game via the mercy rule.

Nick Mailman led the Thunder offense, collecting two of Wheaton's four hits.