PICTURED ABOVE: Michael McCraith struck out 14 Rockford batters in Wheaton's 9-3 victory on Saturday.

Tucson, Ariz. - The Thunder baseball team kicked off its seven-game stay in the desert on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader against Howard Payne University and Rockford University. In the opener, Wheaton scored seven runs in the last two inning but could not overcome its early deficit in a 13-9 loss to Howard Payne (7-2 overall). In the nightcap, Wheaton took advantage of a dominant pitching performance in a 9-3 victory over Rockford (0-1 overall). Wheaton is now 2-2 on the season and will next be in action on Monday when the Thunder face Wabash College at 2 pm (MST).

Wheaton scored its nine runs on 11 hits in the nightcap and did not commit an error. Rockford scored its three runs on eight hits with three errors. Wheaton's nine runs in the first game came on nine hits while Howard Payne scored 13 runs on 13 hits. Both teams committed two errors.

Wheaton jumped out to its first lead against Rockford on Ben Brittain's RBI double. Brittain was quickly stole third and came in to score when Johnny Peltz was thrown out between first and second base. Rockford responded in the top of the fourth inning with one run, but Wheaton answered in the home half of the fourth inning with three more runs. Nick Mailman started the rally with a two-out double. After Jesse Welch was hit by a pitch, Brittain lined a triple into the right field corner, scoring both runs. Peltz followed with an RBI single to put Wheaton ahead 5-1.

Rockford cut into the lead in the top of the sixth with two runs but Wheaton put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning, striking for four runs. Brittain singled in the first run and later scored on Clay Morrison's single. Peltz would also score on a defensive miscue on Morrison's single while Morrison advanced to second. Morrison would late score on Evan Ogden's sacrifice fly.

Michael McCraith was dominant on the mound for the Thunder, holding Rockford to three runs over seven innings of work while striking out a career-high 14 batters. Nick Johnson closed the game with two scoreless innings of relief while striking out three batters.

Howard Payne's offense proved too much in game one, with the Yellow Jackets running off 10 unanswered runs after Mailman scored on a Peltz single in the top of the first inning. Clay Morrison scored on Jesse Welch's single in the top of the seventh but the Yellow Jackets quickly pushed their lead to 13-2 in the bottom of the seventh.

Wheaton's offense came to life in the top of the eighth inning thanks in part to some errant bullpen work by Howard Payne. Wheaton manufactured its five run in the top of the eighth on just two hits. Jacob Garrity's bases-loaded walk brought in the first run of the inning and Nick Mailman plated two with his RBI single. Welch then tripled down the left field line to bring in two more runs.

AJ Dhus worked out of trouble in the bottom of the eighth and Wheaton pushed across a quick two runs in the top of the ninth on consecutive singles by Brittain and Peltz and some defensive help from the Yellow Jackets. Brittain came in to score on Morrison's sacrifice fly to bring the final score to 13-9.

Mailman reached base in all five plate appearances in the first game, collecting two hits, two walks and a hit by pitch. Welch and Peltz also had a pair of hits in teh lidlifter of the doubleheader. Brittain reached base in all five plate appearances in the nightcap, collecting three hits, walking twice, and driving in four runs.