Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder softball team entertained Wartburg College on Saturday in the home opener for the Thunder at Ruth Leedy Field. The Knights swept the twinbill with a 6-3 victory in game one and Wartburg won the nightcap 5-2 (in eight innings).
Wartburg won the opener 6-3 as the guests scored six runs, on seven hits, with no errors and Wheaton tallied three runs, on seven hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Kelly Thornton worked all seven innings for Wheaton. She allowed six runs, including four earned runs, on seven hits, with four walks and one strikeout.
Sophie Kent was 2-for-3, with a run scored, a RBI and a stolen base. Thornton and
Morgan Ryan each hit a double for the Thunder.
Wartburg scored twice in the top of the first inning and added two more runs in the top of the second inning to take a 4-0 lead.
Sophie Kent hit a RBI-single in the bottom of the second inning and her sister,
Ali Kent added a two-run single later in the inning as the hosts scored three runs in the bottom of the second to cut Wartburg's lead to 4-3. The Knights added a run in the top of the fourth inning and another run in the top of the sixth to account for the 6-3 final score.
The Knights won the second game 5-2 in eight innings. Wartburg scored five runs, on 14 hits, with five errors and Wheaton tallied two runs, on four hits, with one error. Thunder starting pitcher
Kendall Kehres worked all eight innings for the hosts. Kehres allowed five runs, including four earned runs, on 14 hits, with four walks and one strikeout.
Melody Rodriguez was 2-for-4 at the plate for the hosts and
Morgan Ryan tallied a double.
Wartburg scored twice in the top of the first inning to gain an early 2-0 lead and the Thunder responded with a run in the bottom of the first to cut the guests' lead to 2-1.
Hannah Clark drew a leadoff walk in the top of the first inning and scored on a Wartburg error as the Knights' attempted to pick
Megan Neuhaus off second base and the ball went into centerfield at Clark scampered home on the miscue.
Wheaton tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Julia Arthur and
Ali Kent each drew two-out walks in the fifth inning and they each advanced a base on a Wartburg wild pitch. Clark hit a single to leftfield that sent Arthur home to tie the game at 2-2. The Knight scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning and closed the bottom of the eighth inning out to escape with the 5-2 victory.
Wheaton returns to action next Friday at Saint Mary's College (Ind.). The doubleheader is slated to start at 2:00 p.m. (EST).
