Carol Stream, Ill. - The Thunder baseball team saw a late lead evaporate on a cold and windy afternoon at Lee Pfund Stadium. Leading 3-1 after six innings, Carthage tallied four runs in the top of the seventh inning, handing Wheaton a 6-4 loss in the opener of their three-game series. Scheduled as a doubleheader, game two was not played due to inclement conditions and was rescheduled for noon on Saturday at Lee Pfund Stadium. Carthage (21-4, 8-1) moves into a first place tie with North Central in the CCIW standings while Wheaton falls to 13-12 overall and 4-6 in the CCIW.

Wheaton answered a Carthage run in the top of the first inning with two in the bottom of the first inning, tying the game on Ben Brittain's sacrifice fly. Clay Morrison handed Wheaton a 2-1 lead with a double to left field.

The Thunder offense continued to threaten in the early innings, loading the bases before coming up empty in the second inning, and adding a run in the bottom of the third inning on Seth Meyer's two-out double, scoring Joel Pierce from second to make it 3-1.

Following the run allowed in the top of the first, Thunder starter Michael McCraith stymied the Carthage bats, holding the Red Men scoreless over his last five innings of work.  McCraith allowed just one hit after the first inning while striking out nine Red Men batters. 

Carthage took advantage of two walks and a key error to take the lead with four runs in the top of the seventh inning. The big blow for the Red Men in the top of the seventh came on a two-out double scoring two of the three unearned runs plated in the inning.

Wheaton was able to answer with a run in the bottom of the seventh when Jesse Welch singled home Nick Mailman following Mailman's double. However, Carthage answered back with a run in the top of the eighth to take a 6-4 lead. The Thunder loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning, but again came up empty, allowing Carthage to hold on for the 6-4 victory.

Nick Mailman led the Thunder offense with three hits and two runs scored including a double. Jesse Welch and Joel Pierce also had two hits with each scoring a run.